A B.C. church that stepped up to sponsor a Syrian refugee family says it has spent $6,000 to rent an apartment that remains empty while the family is stuck in Jordan.
Leaders from Victoriaâs St. Barnabas Church say they were told in January that the Syrian family of six was close to arriving in Canada. Thatâs when they rented a three-bedroom apartment in the city.
But five months later, the Syrian couple and their four children remain stuck in a refugee camp in Jordan.
âWe were told our folks were ready to go,â said parish council member John West. âWe would really like to know where our particular family is in the line-up so we can make some plans.â
A co-ordinator with the National Migration and Resettlement Program says the federal government found homes for the refugees before theyâd been cleared to move to Canada. After the resettlement goal of 25,000 refugees was met in February, there have been fewer immigration staff on the ground, and some resettlement claims are taking longer.
âWeâve been hearing a lot of stories about this,â said program co-ordinator Brian Dyck. âItâs easier to wait if you know how long you're going wait. If you donât know how long we're paying rent on a place it can be really frustrating.â
The church says all the confusion has led to wasted funds.
âWeâre going to have to re-initiate fundraising to cover the shortfall,â West said.
The church says it isnât in a position to give up the rental after outfitting the apartment with furniture and bedding, and with Victoriaâs vacancy rates hovering around 1 per cent.
âNow all we need is a family,â West said.
With files from CTV Vancouver