The Resettlement of Syrian Refugees: The Positions and Roles of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities and its Members

Abstract

This article provides an overview of the policy positions and roles of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) and its members, but particularly members that comprise the Big City Mayors' Caucus (BCMC), in the resettlement of Syrian refugees from the fall of 2015 until the fall of 2016. The article reveals that the FCM and its members performed at least two major constructive functions in the resettlement of Syrian refugees: first, contributing to achieving and maintaining the requisite degree of support among key governmental and non-governmental stakeholders for that historic initiative; and second, animating, coordinating and supporting various local and regional formal and informal partnerships involving governmental and non-governmental actors designed to facilitate the resettlement of Syrian refugees.