Article content

An audit of Syrian refugee files ordered by the Prime Minister’s Office in the spring was not limited to potential security concerns, but examined all aspects of the process – including whether Christians and other vulnerable groups were getting priority status.

The Syrian refugee crisis threatened to hijack the federal election campaign again on Thursday, after the Globe and Mail reported that Citizenship and Immigration Canada stopped processing Syrian refugee applications that it had received from the United Nations.

We apologize, but this video has failed to load.

tap here to see other videos from our team. Try refreshing your browser, or PMO's Syrian refugee audit about more than security Back to video

The report said the Prime Minister’s Office ordered the halt, which lasted several weeks, and that the department handed over some refugee files for vetting by political staff. The report said Syrian refugees referred to Canada by the UN would need to be approved by the prime minister before being allowed into the country.

At a campaign rally in Vancouver, Stephen Harper angrily denied political staff interfered in any specific files. “Political staff are never involved in approving refugee applications,” he said. “Such decisions are made by officials in the Department of Citizenship and Immigration.”