This presentation looks at the costs of re-settling of Syrian refugees to Canada. The presentation has been updated to reflect the latest quotes including the impact to provincial and municipal budgets due to federal funding disappearing to support Syrian Refugees

1. Government Policy – Syrian
Refugee
By:
Paul Young, CPA, CGA
Date: November 23, 2016

2. • This presentation is on perspective when it comes to impact of immigration
and re-settling of Syria Refugees

3. Paul Young - Presenter
Bio
• CPA/CGA
• 25 years of experience in Academia, Industry and Financial solutions
• Youtube Channel -
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAArky1bAXPSuV2NLtUnyLg

4. Agenda
- Annual Budget
- Immigration Analysis
- RPP for Immigration and Citizenship
- Facts and Figures on Syrian Refugees

5. Canada Government 2016-2017
Direct program spending includes the following areas
• First Nations
• Immigration
• Defense
• Climate Change and the environment
Analysis/immigration and Citizenship
• $2.65 billion by 2020 on a cash basis, to address
climate change in developing countries;
• More than $1.6 billion over three years, starting in
2016–17, towards security, stabilization,
humanitarian and development assistance for Iraq,
Syria, Jordan and Lebanon;
• $678 million over six years, starting in 2015–16, to
respond to the Syrian refugee crisis and aid in the
resettlement of 25,000 Syrian refugees; and
• $100 million in 2015–16 to the United Nations
High Commissioner for Refugees, to help support
critical relief activities in the region.

6. Report on Priorities
• Trudeau – April 2016
• Harper – March 2015
Summary
• There is less
headcount under
Trudeau
• What programs with
curtailed to support
the Syrian re-
settlement?

7. Cost of resettlement – Syria refugees
• $200M per year to resettle
• 8K per year for one refugee?
• You could likely look at 15-20K
• Training
• Housing
• Social assistance
• Education
• Healthcare
• Fort McMurray Fire
• $100M likely to be Federal contribution
• Slave Lake Fire cost $1.3B

8. Syrian Refugee Facts and Figures
• Cost outlook for immigration citizen ship – Harper last budget showed 1.5B as compare to $1.7B for 2016-2017. This means $200M increase to the budget
• Source: http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/resources/publications/rpp/2016-2017/#a1.3
• Source: http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/pdf/pub/rpp-2015-2016.pdf
• Canada has re-settled over 27,000 – Syrians – no breakout by ethnic group
• Cost to taxpayers $1B
• Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2016/03/22/syrian-refugees-federal-budget-2016_n_9525346.html
• http://globalnews.ca/news/2594151/federal-budget-2016-syrian-refugees-could-cost-taxpayers-nearly-1-billion/
• Refugee costs – There are claims the monthly amount per refugee is $2,500/month
• http://www.ctvnews.ca/politics/fact-check-do-refugees-get-more-financial-help-than-canadian-pensioners-1.2670735
• Healthcare and Education
• English second language courses
• Training/Skills
• Healthcare programs
• Housing/Welfare
• Rent subsidization
• Food bank support
• Welfare

9. Food Bank - Usage Food Banks:
In March 2015, 852,137 people received food from a
food bank in Canada. More than one-third of those
helped were children.
• Food bank use in March was 1.3% higher compared
to the same period in 2014 and 26% higher than in
2008, before the start of the global financial crisis.
Half of the provinces experienced increases in food
bank use in 2015. Hardest hit was Alberta, where
unemployment increased by 10% between March
2014 and 2015 in the wake of the dropping price of
oil. Three-quarters of food banks in this province
reported an increase in use. Nationally, 54% of food
banks reported an increase in the number of people
requesting food assistance.
• It has now been seven years since food bank use
reached a low point of 675,735 individuals in
March 2008. The need for food banks spiked
drastically in 2009 and has hovered at record levels
ever since.

10. Welfare / Provincial and Municipalities -
comments
• This in a nutshell is when the federal support for the refugees disappears
and they now become the responsibility of municipal or provincial welfare
programs.
• It didn’t have to be this way but we likely will end up with more than 50% of
these refugees on the welfare roles due to poor language skills and a
subsequent lack of job skills.
• Source -
http://www.therebel.media/trudeau_s_syrian_refugee_rush_failures_come
_to_a_head_as_month_13_looms

11. Comments – Toronto Star
• An influx of Syrian refugees along with the impact of wildfires and low oil
prices in Alberta drove a 1.3 per cent increase in the number of people
using food banks in Canada in 2016 compared to the previous year, a new
report says.
• HungerCount 2016, to be released Tuesday, shows 863,492 individuals
relied on a food bank in March, up from 852,137 in March, 2015, with eight
out of 10 provinces experiencing a hike and Alberta, Saskatchewan and
Nova Scotia showing surges of more than 17 per cent.
• The study by national charitable organization Food Banks Canada says
unattached Canadians now account for 44 per cent of those helped by the
services, even though they make up just 28 per cent of households.
https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2016/11/15/influx-of-syrian-refugees-fuels-surge-in-
food-bank-use-report-says.html

12. Comments – Ottawa Citizen
• “The federal government can’t just snap their fingers and have twice as
many classrooms or instructors,” says Dan Hiebert, a geography professor
at the University of British Columbia who researches the impact of refugee
populations on cities. Still, he is troubled by reports that money set aside to
resettle Syrians remains unspent.
Source --
http://www.ottawacitizen.com/news/national/syrian+refugees+rebuilding+their+lives+suburba
n+canada/12412682/story.html

13. Lapsing Funds - Syrians
• Feds spent $296.4-billion last year, left more than $12-billion unspent,
election cited as possible reason
• The PBO says it will likely examine last year's lapse, because it means there may
be objectives the government had that have not been met.
• Source - http://www.hilltimes.com/2016/11/07/public-accounts-reflect-
296-4-billion-spending-higher-projected-lapse/86553