Canada says may miss end-of-year Syrian refugee target

A Syrian refugee arrives at the Pearson Toronto International Airport in Mississauga, Ontario, December 18, 2015. REUTERS/Mark Blinch

OTTAWA (Reuters) - The Canadian government still has a target of accepting 10,000 Syrian refugees by the end of the year, Immigration Minister John McCallum said on Wednesday, although he conceded that number of migrants may not arrive in the country by then.

McCallum said factors such as weather and the time needed by refugees to prepare for their departures meant he could not guarantee the government's earlier pledge.