Ten orphaned Somali refugee children and a baby arrived in Winnipeg Thursday evening. They come to Canada from Saudi Arabia, where their status in the country was deemed illegal following the death of their father.

The 11 refugees, 4 brothers and 6 sisters. range in age from 16 down to 8. There is also one baby that is the daughter of the eldest sibling. A cousin and an orphan girl raised with the family were unable to travel due to documentation reasons..

All the siblings were born in Saudi Arabia where their father worked at the Somali consulate. After his death they were stripped of their legal status in the country. They also had their documents taken away.

They have been sponsored to Canada by Hospitality House Refugee Ministry and the Anglican Diocese of Rupert’s Land.

Hospitality House learned of their situation after a then sixteen year old brother arrived in Winnipeg. He walked from the Emerson border crossing after a journey from Saudi Arabia in October of 2014. He made a successful asylum claim but always wanted to help bring his family to Canada.

The refugees will live at the Hospitality House reception centre.

Source: Newstalk770