12. The Trudeau Government, Refugee Policy, and Echoes of the Past

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made the welcoming of 25,000 Syrian refugees a pivotal part of the Liberal platform in the 2015 federal election. The refugee policy promise was central to the Liberal victory in 2015 and has been widely judged a success. This chapter aims to describe the extensive government response required to fulfill this promise, to put it in a historical context, and to emphasize the important role of private citizens and civil service initiatives in previous and current refugee resettlement programs. As in the refugee crises of 1947 and 1979, Canada’s large refugee resettlement programs work well when the civil service is encouraged to partner actively with the public to find creative ways to direct both federal and private resources.