Thanks, Mr. Chairman.
In terms of family reunification, beginning 14 to 15 months ago, we had already put in place accelerated treatment for applications for family reunification of Syrian nationals who have relatives in Canada who had sponsored such applications. My department tells me that by the end of next month we will have completed all the family reunification applications that were in our inventory for Syrian nationals.
But in terms of refugee resettlement, let me be clear. I was explicit about this when I was in Turkey in mid-January that we were not proposing a refugee resettlement program for Syrian refugees, but I did announce very clearly an increase in our resettlement targets for government-assisted refugees in Turkey, primarily Iranians and Iraqis. These are people who are already waiting for resettlement opportunities, have been referred to us by the UNHCR, and have no durable alternative in the region.
I spoke to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, António Guterres, who told me in December, and whose representatives continue to tell us, that they are not referring Syrian refugees for resettlement. There is an immediate humanitarian crisis, some two million displaced persons, over a million IDPs, internally displaced persons, within Syria itself. The UNHCR always says to the resettlement community in such circumstances that it would be a misallocation of resources to begin the work of referring people for resettlement, when they are desperately focused on housing, tents, shelter, food and clothing, and safety for the people who are refugees in the theatre.