Canada to reform refugee system: Kenney

Kenney said he will follow up the announcement by tabling far-reaching legislation on Tuesday, targeted mainly at people claiming refugee status after they arrive in Canada.

That package aims to speed up the approval system for refugee claimants who come to Canada looking for asylum by efficiently sorting out legitimate refugees from those who are trying to take advantage of Canada's system.

Under the proposed legislation announced Monday, Canada would resettle as many as 14,500 refugees selected by the United Nations annually, 2,500 more than it does currently.

Five hundred of those would be sponsored by the government; the remaining 2,000 would be sponsored by Canadians and permanent residents as part of the private sponsorship refugees program.

"Millions of people have fled violence and persecution to seek refuge outside their home countries and we would like to do more to provide them with protection in Canada," said Immigration and Multiculturalism Minister Jason Kenney.

The reforms will help some of the estimated 10.5 million "refugees living in desperate circumstances around the world and in urgent need of resettlement," Kenney said.

More funding for the newly settled

The government also wants to increase funding for the resettlement assistance program (RAP) to $54 million annually from $45 million in order to ensure newly arrived refugees are receiving "the support they need to begin their new lives in Canada," according to a government release.