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Syrian families with four or more children – which make up the majority of Syrian families that have come to Canada – can get about $50,000 a year in various taxpayer-funded social-service benefits.

In addition to receiving $7,000 to $11,000 a year per adult under provincial welfare programs, the Canada Child Benefit credit provides $6,400 for each child under six and $5,400 a year for each child between six and 17. The families are also eligible for GST and other tax rebates.

“The Canada Child Benefit has especially made a terrific difference in many families’ ability to survive Month 13,” Hosgood said.

In many cases Hosgood has found struggling refugee adults in B.C. have had to make a choice between working at minimum-wage jobs or staying on provincial welfare so they can go to school to learn English or study other subjects.

The immigration department says 62 per cent of the 26,000 Syrians who have come to Canada speak neither French nor English, which is a lower rate of fluency than among previous refugees to Canada.

Learning English, Hosgood adds, is especially difficult for the significant number of Syrian refugee adults who are not able to read or write in their native Arabic.

Although Trudeau and federal cabinet ministers have frequently posed for photo opportunities with Syrian refugees who are doctors or other professionals, the Immigration Department report makes clear that most jobs so far obtained by Syrian refugees are typically in the low-paying service and restaurant sector, or in construction.

The Angus Reid Institute reported in February that Canadians generally support the way the federal Liberals welcomed Syrian and other refugees in 2016. Almost half of Canadians said Ottawa is taking in the right number of refugees, while 41 per cent said the number is too high.

dtodd@postmedia.com

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