By Ian Holmes

Feds approve more Syrian refugees to move to Nanaimo

Sep 20, 2016 | 4:27 PM

NANAIMO — A second wave of government sponsored middle eastern refugees are on the move to Nanaimo in search of a brighter future.

Immigrant Welcome Centre executive director Hilde Schlosar says Immigration Canada has revealed that about 40 primarily Syrians from up to ten families will arrive in Nanaimo between the end of next week and mid-December.

“What they’ve gone through will vary from family to family. Some have experienced extreme trauma, some maybe not quite as much and some it’s more recent and some it may have been a couple years ago,” says Schlosar.

She says short and long-term support from Immigrant Welcome Centre staff will help these newcomers navigate day-to-day tasks like buying groceries and basic needs. Long term assistance will focus on arranging language classes, employment services and learning Canada’s laws and cultures.

The government sponsored refugees are on top of about 95 people who arrived from the same region six months ago all at one time, according to Schlosar.

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She says this next round of refugees will be served in a much more orderly and efficient manner.

“We hadn’t done this before on this scale, so this time we certainly learned a lot. We can do things better and more efficiently now.”

Schlosar says this new group of refugees will arrive in staggered times. That eases the pressure on Immigrant Welcome Centre staff.

She says donations to their refugee fund can be made through their website www.cvims.org.