First government plane carrying refugees arrives in Canada

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau poses for selfies with workers before he greets refugees from Syria at Pearson International airport, in Toronto, on Thursday, Dec. 10, 2015. AP

TORONTO — The first Canadian government plane carrying Syrian refugees has arrived in Toronto.

A military flight carrying 163 refugees arrived late Thursday where they will be greeted by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. They are the first large group of Syrian refugees arriving by government aircraft.

READ: Syrians to arrive in Canada on government flights Thursday

The newly elected Liberal government is pushing forward with its pledge to resettle 25,000 Syrian refugees by the end of February amid an intense debate in the West over what to do with people fleeing violence in the Middle East.

Canada’s welcoming stands in stark contrast to the US.

READ: Canada to give UN $75 million for Syrian refugee relief