At a time when provincial and municipal leaders are calling on the Trudeau government for extra support for asylum seekers and refugees, there are reports that 50 White Helmet members from Syria - and their families - could be resettling in Canada in October.
A senior official told The Canadian Press - on the condition of remaining anonymous - that Canada has offered to host up to 50 members and their families, bringing the total number of Syrians to 250. However, the official said that number could end up being lower.
White Helmets are Syrian volunteers who help rescue and recover civilians who are hurt or trapped by rubble resulting from the country's ongoing civil war.
As many as 425 were rescued by Israeli forces overnight Sunday, after the volunteer group became stranded along the Syrian-Israeli border. Initial reports stated there were 800 people rescued, but that number has since been revised.
Earlier in the week, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, asking that Israel evacuate the White Helmets due to fears they would be attacked by government troops who had been gaining more ground in recent days.
A spokesman for the Jordanian Foreign Ministry says the rescued Syrians will stay in Jordan for three months before resettling in Canada, the UK and Germany - the three countries which pledged to take them in.
In a written statement released late Saturday night, Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland said the following:
‘‘The White Helmets are courageous volunteers and first responders who risk their lives to help their fellow Syrians who have been targeted by senseless violence. When children, women, and men in Syria flee for their lives, the White Helmets run towards danger, towards the rubble, to save the innocent and the wounded. The White Helmets have witnessed vicious atrocities committed by the Assad regime and its backers.
‘‘Canada, working in close partnership with the United Kingdom and Germany, has been leading an international effort to ensure the safety of White Helmets and their families.
‘‘Canada has been unequivocal about its support for the White Helmets. At a meeting of Foreign Ministers on the occasion of the NATO leaders’ summit in Brussels a week ago, I called for global leadership to support and help these heroes.
‘‘Canada has been a key partner of the White Helmets and is proud to have provided funding to support their emergency training and to increase the number of women White Helmets. We feel a deep moral responsibility towards these brave and selfless people.
‘‘Canada will continue to provide significant humanitarian assistance to the people affected by this conflict in Syria.’’