Canada has welcomed more than 35,000 Syrian newcomers in the past year, the Foreign Ministry said.

According to the latest Immigration and Citizenship statistics, at least 35,745 Syrian refugees have arrived in Canada since November 2015. The Liberal government has pledged to settle up to 50,000 Syrian refugees by the end of the year, The Huffington Post says.

Concerns have been raised by community groups across the country over the upcoming milestone for privately-sponsored Syrian refugees families who were the first to arrive last year.

Private sponsors who take on Syrian refugees must be able to provide financial support for 12 months.

Some refugees have fared worse than others. Cases have been reported of absentee sponsors or private citizens who turned out to be ill-prepared to care for newcomers for a year.