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Canadians Tell Us Why Canada Has Welcomed More Refugees Than The US

We asked Canadian citizens in Toronto why they think the U.S. and Canada have different views on Syrian refugees.
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"When we talk about what it means to be a Canadian, it means to be welcoming to the entire world." 

Why Canada is more welcoming to refugees than the U.S. — as told by Canadians.

"That's what Canada's all about, you know, accepting people that need a place to be. And what kind of country would we be if we didn't accept refugees? It wouldn't be Canada, I kinda feel like."

"People have better understanding of different communities. I think that lacks in American government, and also diversity in American government lacks, as well. … Here, we embrace change."

Canada has taken in more than 27,000 Syrians. The U.S. has had trouble welcoming 10,000.

"I think it's instilled from childhood that we're taught to be very accepting. … It's not about being accepting of gays or accepting of homosexuals; it's about being accepting of everybody. And I think Syrian immigrants fit largely into that."

"For some reason, Canadians just tend to be more welcoming. I mean, that's just a fact."

"You have all of these people coming together — unifies the nation on one great cause that's leading to great change."

"They're just people, right? They're people that were stuck in a bad situation in Syria, and now we should … as human beings, we should help them."

Music provided courtesy of APM Music.