Nova Scotia is welcoming 100 Afghan refugees to their new home.
“They fled violence and conflict to find a new and safe life here in our province,” Prime Minister Tim Houston said in a video posted on his Twitter account on Wednesday, the day they arrived.
“The history of our province is full of people helping each other in difficult times. That’s the Bluenoser way. You are now part of that story, the story of how our incredible province continues to evolve and grow. “
According to a statement from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, 265 former NATO employees and their families recently landed at Halifax Stanfield International Airport. They came from another country where they had temporarily stayed after leaving Afghanistan.
About 100 refugees will remain in Halifax, while the rest will continue to other provinces.
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Immigration, Refugee and Citizenship spokesman Alexander Cohen said about 100 more people will go to St. John’s. The rest will settle in communities in Ontario, British Columbia, Alberta and Saskatchewan.
Jill Balser, Nova Scotia’s minister for Labor, Skills and Immigration, said Wednesday there will be support services on the ground for new residents of the province.
The Nova Scotia Immigrant Services Association will provide short-term and long-term support, including helping them find housing, work, and improve their language skills.
The federal government has pledged to bring 40,000 refugees and vulnerable Afghans to Canada after Afghanistan’s fall to the Taliban in August.
According to the federal governmentSo far, 3,625 refugees have arrived in the country under its program for Afghans participating in assistance to Canada. And 415 have come under its humanitarian program.
More to come.
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