Swift Current will soon be opening its arms to welcome a family displaced by war.

A family of eight refugees are expected to enter our population after being displaced for an extended period of time.

Originally from Syria, the two parents and their six children all spent over five years in a refugee camp in Turkey after the Syrian civil war displaced them.

Sammy Khalife, a member of the Swift Current Area Ministerial Refugee Committee, said that his organization, in partnership with the government, will be sponsoring the family for a year as they establish themselves in the community.

"The program is set up where the government will pay half for one year, six months, and the Swift Current Area Ministerial Refugee Association will pay half, another six months."

Expanding on the Committee's plan in regards to dealing with refugees in the future, Khalife said that this is part of a plan to bring refugee's to Canada yearly

"As a refugee committee we took this to our executives and they approved that plan to have a refugee family every year for the next three years, so our refugee family this year, our refugee family next year, and our refugee family the year after."

Khalife said that their organization was requested to sponsor this family by another Saskatchewan organization.

"This family specifically, the MCC (Mennonite Central Committee) called us from Saskatoon and said, we need someone that has the team in place, and someone with the skills to sponsor this specific family."

Speaking from past experience, Khalife said that assistance for refugees is something that is needed.

"I actually visited many refugee camps in Lebanon, and you know, their living situation is horrible, no child should be prevented from going to school, or access to medication or healthcare, or life," he emphatically said. " We should feel honored and blessed to give others this opportunity."