OTTAWA - The government says North Koreans heading to Canada under a new private sponsorship scheme will face health and security screening before being allowed in.
The Immigration Department says it will also check that refugees fleeing Kim Jong-un's authoritarian regime do not have a criminal background.
Under the new program, Canadian citizens will for the first time be able to privately sponsor North Koreans so they can settle in Canada.
Canada does not usually admit North Koreans because they can safely stay in South Korea.
But the government says the immigration minister approved the special policy which will start with a small number of families who have already fled to Thailand.
The Immigration Department says HanVoice, a Canadian human rights organization running the program, will be responsible for supporting the North Koreans for a year after they arrive in Canada.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 27, 2021.
