Syrian refugees: 4 things MPs heard about the Liberals' resettlement plan

Landlords taking advantage of Syrian refugees. Gaps in dental care under the interim federal health care program. The burden placed on refugees who have to pay for their travel costs.

Those are a few of the issuesMPs on the citizenship and immigration committeehave heard about as theyspent the past month questioning federal officials, private sponsors, resettlement agencies andrefugees themselves aboutthe government's efforts to resettle 25,000 people displaced by theSyrian conflict.

An extraordinaryamountof government resources were deployed in aperiod of four months, from November to the end of February, in an effort to resettle 25,000 Syrian refugees. In the threemonths since the Liberal government reached its goal,about2,580 more Syrians have arrived in Canada as part oftheongoing efforts.

• Ottawa dispatches 40 more staff to Mideast to reduce Syrian refugee backlog
• Funding shortfall means no English classes for Syrian refugees over summer
• Staffing boost underway for privately sponsored Syrian refugees amid complaints

The Liberal-dominated Commons committee had originallyagreed to continue its studyuntil June 7,at a cost of $39,200, but lastweek MPs decided to extend that by another two weeks until June 21, days before the House is expected to adjourn for the summer.

Private sponsorship groups who have raised thousands of dollars to support refugee families have been vocal about the slow pace of arrivals after the initial 25,000 target was met, a complaint the government says it has moved to address in recent weeks.

Here is a closer look at four other things MPs heard about the Liberal government's Syrian refugee plan:

1. Lack of affordable housing

Experts told MPs that finding permanent housing was one of the "most challenging" partsof the government's plan to resettle25,000 refugees.

"It took an average of five and a half weeks to movethe newcomers from temporary housing into their own homes," said Mario Calla, the executive director for COSTIImmigrant Services, an agency with 17 locations in the greater Toronto area that helped resettlesome 1,800 Syrians.

Callasaid while Canadians have long complained of the lack of affordable housing, the resettlement of Syrian refugees was further proofthat this is a "serious" problem.

"The rental costs are in excess of 50 per cent of their income," Callasaid. "It is generally accepted that for housing to be affordable, it should consume less than 30 per cent of a person's income."

Emily Woods, the sponsorship program officer for Action Rfugis Montral, a small non-profit organization funded by churches and individuals, said while the overall housing experience has been "positive," severalhousing challenges remain.

"Some families have faced challenges when meeting with landlords, or were left with no housing at the last minute after landlords signed multiple leases with families for the same housing unit."

"In one particular case, a family wasasked to pay for a full year of rent up front," Woods said.

2. Paying fortravel costs

Both Woods and Calle, who appeared before the committee ondifferent dates, urged thegovernment to waive all travel costs for Syrian refugees who arrived in Canada before Nov. 4. and do away with the federalloansoffered to other refugeesto help pay their costs.

As CBC News reported in March, Immigration Minister John McCallumsaid the Liberal government was considering payingtravel costs for all refugees resettling to Canada in the future an option that would come at considerable cost to the federal government.

"Transportation loans are a huge burden on families. It is putting them...in an additionally vulnerable position upon their arrival," Woods said.

"Historicallythese loans have had a crushing impact on the ability of refugees to make ends meetfrom month to month," saidCallefromCOSTI.

"We urge the government to extend the waiver of the loan program to all refugees," he said.

David Manicom, a senior immigration official, confirmed before the Commons committee that the Immigration Loan Program continues to be "under active review."

3. Gaps in dental care

The Canadian Dental Association urged the government to review the dental policies of the interim federal health program so that refugees can have "immediate access" to basic dental care.

The Liberals restored expanded health benefits for refugees and asylum seekers on April 1, but according to Randall Croutze,president of the CDA, some shortcomings exist.

• Refugees need teeth pulled, fillings and other serious dental care
• Syrian refugees are in bad need of dental treatment

"The strict limitations of the program are not in line with the accepted best-practices of care," he told the committee.

Croutzesaid the association wants the government to do away with the requirement to submit a pre-authorization form for fillings, and to expand its coverage to includestainless steel crowns andcertain x-rays not currently covered.

"Refugees, especially children, who have been lacking consistent dental treatment, preventive care or fluoridated water have a host of problems that may require further treatment beyond what the IFHP affords," Croutze said.

According to Croutze, many dentists havecomeforward to help Syrian refugees by providing them with free screenings andpro-bono care.

"However, relying exclusively onpro-bonowork is not sufficient to address the oral health needs of this cohort of new arrivals," Croutze said.

4. 'Intense' coordination

Senior departmental officials told the committee that Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada will present sometime in the falla report on what the government learned in resettling25,000 peoplein a period of four months.

David Manicom, asenior immigration official, said one of the reasons the operation was successful was becauseitwas the"most intense interdepartmental coordination effort" he'd ever seen.

Officials in the immigration department worked jointly with the Canada Border Services Agency, Global Affairs Canada, National Defence, Public Safety and the Public Health Agency of Canada.

"I think that was a lesson which, if we're doing an operation like this again, we would replicate to some extent," Manicom said.

The Commons committee oncitizenship and immigration continues to hear from witnesses later today.