Canada risks missing annual refugee resettlement target after slow start

FILE PHOTO: An empty U.S.-Canada border crossing is seen in Lacolle, Quebec, Canada March 19, 2020. REUTERS/Christinne Muschi/File Photo

TORONTO (Reuters) - Canada's refugee resettlement is off to a slow start this year, with just over 1,000 refugees settled through early March, government data show, raising doubts about the country's ability to achieve its ambitious 2021 target.

In the midst of a global pandemic, Canada resettled more than 9,000 refugees last year. While that was less than half of any national total since at least 2015, it still amounted to about 40% of the global number of resettled refugees last year.