Montrealers working to bring Syrian refugees to Canada say the paperwork and bureaucratic delays imposed by the federal government are far too onerous.

About 100 people of Syrian descent in Montreal made applications in June to sponsor relatives who are fleeing the war-torn country.

They've had their applications approved by the provincial government, but have yet to hear from Ottawa if their sponsorships will be accepted.

Abdallah Zeghbi, who wants to bring his brother and sister-in-law, his nephew and his wife to Canada, can barely hold back tears while talking about his family.

"It's heartbreaking. It's the people that suffer, that lost who they love, said Zeghbi.

"Those people don't come because they like it. They're forced to leave their house."

He said when he visited his country in 2010, a one-litre bottle of water cost 1 Syrian pound. Now, the same bottle costs 100 Syrian pounds.

His relatives are currently among the 1.4 million refugees who have fled Syria for Lebanon. Zeghbi said they had to leave after being cut off from food, water, and electricity.

"The people don't have time. Life is miserable in Lebanon. So many times they call me and say 'We want to go back to our house' ... It's very expensive. Four people live in one room... it's not easy in Lebanon," he said.

Zeghbi's family is officially being sponsored by the St. George Antiochian Orthodox Church, which is one of three methods to bring refugees into Canada.

Immigration constultant Dima Yaziji believes the bureaucrats processing paperwork are being too strict.

"We cannot just apply the rules as is. We need to make it faster, make it easier. If there is something that's missing that's okay, but do it when they are here, where they are safe," said Yaziji.

"We cannot just apply the rules when they are at risk."

Quebec Immigration Minister Kathleen Weil says by year's end, the province hopes to welcome a total of 2,500 Syrian refugees and plans to streamline the process.

It's also working on getting more people and organizations involved in the different sponsorship programs.

“There is a mobilization that is happening right now. We are getting a lot of calls, we're getting a lot of calls and a lot of refugee organizations are getting calls from people that want to contribute and play a role,” Weil said.

Green Party Leader Elizabeth May, in Montreal to meet with Mayor Denis Coderre, said the actions of the federal government have been disgraceful.

"It's almost impossible to use the system as currently constructed. That's why it's been more than a year since the Conservatives said we'd take 10,000 refugees from Syria and we haven't even taken half that number yet," said May.

She said a Green Party government would work to accelerate the acceptance of refugee claimants.