Thousands have arrived in Canada from Turkey, Syria since deadly earthquakes
Global News
More than 3,000 people from Turkey and Syria have entered the country since the Feb. 6 earthquakes, according to the Canada Border Services Agency.
Canada is prioritizing visas for victims of the devastating earthquakes that hit Turkey and Syria last month, as hundreds of thousands have been made homeless.
More than 3,000 people from Turkey and Syria have entered the country since the Feb. 6 earthquakes, according to data shared by the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) with Global News this week.
It’s not clear if all those who came between Feb. 6 and 26 were directly impacted by the earthquakes.
As of Sunday, a total of 2,220 travellers from Turkey and 881 from neighbouring Syria had arrived in Canada, CBSA stats showed.
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada said it is “giving priority to affected individuals for temporary resident, permanent resident and refugee applications.”
“We’re monitoring the situation and will adjust our approach accordingly,” an IRCC spokesperson told Global News in an emailed statement.
As of Feb. 8, there were close to 16,000 applicants — under review or finalized — in Turkey and Syria, IRCC said.
Of these, approximately 1,700 applicants for permanent and temporary residence were within the zone impacted by the earthquakes.