NEW YORK—Prime Minister Justin Trudeau received a round of applause when he told a UN conference on refugees that 31,000 Syrians have now been welcomed to Canada, but he didn’t let the applause linger long.

“While that is a great story, I don’t want to lose sight of the fact that Canada’s engagement must not stop at resettlement,” Trudeau told the delegates Monday.

“Now is the time for each of us to consider what more we can contribute. So, in Canada, we’re looking at our options.”

The prime minister said all countries should be looking at additional ways to help solve a historic crisis fuelled by Syria’s civil war.

Some conference-goers also made inquiries about Canada’s private program for sponsoring refugees; Immigration Minister John McCallum said at least 13 countries are considering emulating it.

The grim shadow of world events descended over the conference as Trudeau and other world leaders gathered to make new commitments to victims of a historic migration crisis.

News crept in from nearby and abroad to underscore the oft-stated point at the summit that work on refugees remains a task in progress. As Trudeau spoke, word filtered out about bombing ending Syria’s ceasefire.

While the war made new victims, the debate closer to the United Nations conference in New York revolved around whether to show them any hospitality. A series of attempted bombings in the city added new fuel to a combustible U.S. election debate on Muslim migration.

Trudeau announced Canada would spend an additional $64.5 million over the next several years to support people affected by humanitarian crises around the world, and increase its foreign-aid budget by 10 per cent to help displaced children get back to school.

The challenge was illustrated by the woman seated beside him. In Jordan, the unofficial population count is now almost 10 per cent Syrian refugees: “Will we leave refugees to languish in camps . . . and slums?” said Queen Rania, who co-chaired one of the discussion sessions with Trudeau.

She said the goodwill exhibited by countries is no match for the task.

The return of bombing Monday echoed the point that Syria’s five-year civil war will produce more casualties. An NBC News crew reported hearing more than 100 blasts around Aleppo, which has become the focal point of a conflict that has killed an estimated 470,000 people and sent almost five million fleeing abroad.

Other reports described an aid convoy being obliterated by missiles.

The United States, the world’s wealthiest country, has taken in fewer refugees than most western nations — 10,000 so far. President Barack Obama wants to triple that number. His would-be successor Hillary Clinton has called for almost six times more than the present number.

However, her opponent savaged the idea Monday.

Donald Trump responded to the latest news from a New York bomb plot by turning to the refugee issue. An Afghan-born immigrant was arrested Monday after a firefight with police, suspected of planting bombs in New York and New Jersey over the weekend.

Trump wants to halt migration from Muslim countries. That includes refugees from Syria. He said the country had shown weakness by letting in thousands of people — and vowed to stop it.

He likened it to a tumour.

“This is cancer from within,” Trump told Fox News.

McCallum said the United Kingdom is one of several countries looking at establishing a program similar to Canada’s, in which private citizens provide funding to bring in refugees and help them get set up in their new home.

The program was developed under the Pierre Trudeau and Joe Clark governments of the 1970s in response to a migration wave from Vietnam. It has gained new attention amid the wide-ranging effects of Syria’s five-year civil war, with other countries now developing similar systems.

“At least 13 countries have expressed an interest in this. That could be one part of the solution for the world at large,” McCallum told reporters at the United Nations conference, where Canada announced a 10-per-cent funding increase for international aid.

Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading...

“So we have had good conversations with a number of countries who may want to follow that practice. . . . I think this is a very useful model that we could export to the rest of the world.”

He said the details might vary from one country to the next. Australia began testing a similar model in 2013, and Germany has also followed suit. McCallum said that if countries can enlist their citizens to sponsor refugees and help them get started in a new home, “you’re miles ahead.”

McCallum will announce an initiative on private refugee sponsorships Tuesday with the United Nations and billionaire George Soros.

Read more about: