First Syrian refugees arrive in Canada and Justin Trudeau Greets Refugees As Plane Arrives In Canada 'Welcome Home ' Friday Dec 11,2015

 

Syrian refugees are greeted by Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau (L) on their arrival from Beirut at the Toronto Pearson International Airport in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada

Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau helps a young Syrian refugee try on a winter coat after she arrived with her family from Beirut at the Toronto Pearson International Airport in Mississauga, Ontario

 

Syrian refugees receive welcome bags at the Toronto Pearson International Airport in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada December 11, 2015

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau poses for a selfies with workers before he greets refugees from Syria at Pearson International airport, in Toronto, on December 10, 2015

 

The first Canadian government plane carrying Syrian refugees arrived in Toronto late Thursday where they were greeted by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who is pushing forward with his pledge to resettle 25,000 Syrian refugees by the end of February.

The welcome given to the military flight carrying 163 refugees stands in stark contrast to the United States. Canada's much more populous southern neighbor plans to take in just 10,000 Syrian refugees over the next year, and even that is provoking opposition. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump caused a worldwide uproar with a proposal to temporarily block Muslims from entering the US.

The flight from Jordan arrived just before midnight carrying the first of two large groups of Syrian refugees to arrive in the country by government aircraft.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau greeted some of the families to come through processing. The first family was Kevork Jamkossian, a gynecologist from Aleppo, his wife Georgina Zires, a lab technician, and their 16-month-old daughter Madeleine.

"We really would like to thank you for all this hospitality and the warm welcome," the father said to Trudeau through an interpreter. "We felt ourselves at home."

"You are home. Welcome home," Prime Minister Justin Trudeau responded.

"We suffered a lot. Now, we feel as if we got out of hell and we came to paradise," Jamkossian said later.

Families were given teddy bears and winter clothing. Trudeau earlier thanked staff and volunteers who were processing the refugees.

"This is a wonderful night, where we get to show not just a planeload of new Canadians what Canada is all about, we get to show the world how to open our hearts and welcome in people who are fleeing extraordinarily difficult situations," Trudeau said.

All 10 of Canada's provincial premiers support taking in the refugees and members of the opposition, including the Conservative party, attended the welcoming late Thursday. Trudeau was also joined by the ministers of immigration, health and defense, as well as Ontario's premier and Toronto's mayor.


Well-wishers gather at the Toronto's Pearson Airport, on December 10, 2015.

 Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau poses for selfies with workers before he greets refugees from Syria at Pearson International airport, in Toronto