The Al Radis arrived in Nova Scotia last year and are settling into their new home in Truro.
They have jobs and are taking English classes, all while hoping they can be reunited with the rest of their family, who remain in a Jordanian refugee camp/
The Syrian refugee effort is still going pm across the country, although numbers have slowed here in the Maritimes.
Between January and April of this year,
75 Syrians have settled in Nova Scotia, 40 in New Brunswick, 35 in PEI, and 15 in Newfoundland and Labrador.
Nabiha Atallah is the manager of communications and research for the Immigrant Services Association of Nova Scotia.
“We are receiving refugees from other parts of the world as well,” said Atallah. “In our opinion, we could increase our numbers. We did so well with the large number of Syrian refugees who came in 2015/16.”
Atallahmet with the federal minister of immigration, refugees and citizenship today.
He was holding a roundtable in Halifax on how new Canadians benefit Atlantic Canada.
“We know that there are millions of people around the world who are in very desperate situations as refugees,” said Atallah.
“We believe that Canada could increase its intake and Nova Scotia could increase its intake.”
Hussen agrees more needs to be done.
“I believe we can do more as IRCC (Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada) to respond to the needs of employers in Atlantic Canada, because they need more workers, not only to grow their companies, just to even to sustain their workforce.”
This year, the federal government is aiming to welcome 18,000 privately sponsored refugees and 7,500 government assisted refugees.
Those include Syrians whom the feds believe will remain the top source for resettled refugees to Canada this year.
The Al Radis are hoping that will include the rest of their family.
With the help of a sponsorship group - they're working to raise money to make the hope a reality.
With files from CTV Atlantic’s Laura Brown.
