Hundreds of Syrian refugees have arrived in Canada, where they have been immediately granted permanent residency. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has pledged to resettle 10,000 Syrian refugees by the end of this month and another 15,000 by March 1. Canadians have welcomed the refugees with video messages of support. Trudeau greeted the first batch of more than 160 refugees who arrived around midnight Thursday.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau: “Tonight they step off the plane as refugees, but they walk out of this terminal as permanent residents of Canada, with social insurance numbers, with health cards and with an opportunity to become full Canadians.”

In Germany, meanwhile, Chancellor Angela Merkel has said she wants to “drastically decrease” the number of refugees entering Germany amid pressure from within her party. Nearly a million refugees have entered Germany this year; more than 340,000 have submitted asylum applications.