Syrian refugees will land in Toronto to a terminal redesigned for them at Pearson International Airport.
Officials from the Canadian Border Services Agency (CBSA), with the Greater Toronto Airport Authority, unveiled the revamped infield terminal Tuesday morning.
The building is separate from the airport’s main terminals. It was specially designed for the thousands of government-sponsored refugees who will soon arrive in Canada. A similar terminal has been set up in Montreal’s Pierre Elliott Trudeau International airport.
We are ready for the arrival of Syrian refugees @aeroportsMTL #WelcomeRefugees pic.twitter.com/YwUqDVlafe — Border Services (@CanBorder) December 8, 2015
The CBSA’s Regional Director General, Goran Vragovic, said in a news release the goal is to move the refugees around the airport within three or four hours so they can begin the “important work” of resettling into Canadian communities.
“With our many partners, we have worked to make new arrivals as comfortable as possible, while protecting the integrity of the arrival process,” Vragovic said..
The facility will include a children’s play area, as well as signs in English, French and Arabic, the CBSA told media.
Approximately 30 CBSA workers will be on hand to help process the refugees. Once the refugees leave the airport, they will be permanent residents.
The federal government plans to bring 25,000 Syrian refugees to Canada by the end of February, with 10,000 of them arriving in Toronto and Montreal by the end of this month.
Many of the refugees will land in Toronto first before settling in other parts of the country.
The terminal is to remain open until February.