Kosovo refugees arrive in Canada

The first ethnic-Albanian refugees from Kosovo arrived in Canada Tuesday afternoon.

They came to Canada under an accelerated program to admit Kosovars who have family here as part of the family reunification program.

Two families flew into Toronto where they were greeted by the federal Immigration Minister.

About 700 more Kosovars are expected to come at the request of about 100 Canadian families.

The refugees coming today had been living in camps at Skopje, Macedonia where conditions are deteriorating as more people arrive seeking safe haven.

The UN says its camps are almost full even though aid workers are doing their best to shepherd the refugees to camps where there still is a bit a room left.

Canada originally planned to take in 5,000 refugees who would be housed at Canadian forces bases across the country. But the UN decided it would be better to keep refugees closer to home.