Canada will more than double the number of refugees from Iraq it accepts this year, Citizenship and Immigration Minister Diane Finley announced Wednesday in Vancouver, on the fifth anniversary of the U.S.-led invasion in the country.

"This year, we are responding to the situation in Iraq by significantly increasing the number of Iraqi refugees we accept," Finley said in a release.

"Consistent with Canada's longstanding tradition of providing protection to refugees most in need, we will continue to monitor this situation and explore options to further meet resettlement needs with respect to Iraqis."

Finley said Canada will receive between 1,800 and 2,000 Iraqi refugees in 2008, up from approximately 900 in 2007. Most of them will be resettled from Syria and Jordan.

Newcomers from Iraq and others in the region displaced by the war will now account for almost a third of Canada's global resettlement target.

Canada's resettlement target for the Middle East has also been increased by more than 50 per cent for this year to 3,300 people.

Refugee applications will be considered both through private sponsorships and referrals from the United Nations.

Finley said the Conservative government has also promised to invest $1.4 billion into resettlement programs, adding the money should help ease some of the pressure on local services.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has estimated more than two million Iraqis have fled to Syria, Jordan and Egypt.

"We are pleased to note that Canada has yet again responded to the UNHCR's recent appeal to give more places to Iraqi and other refugees from the Middle East," said Abraham Abraham, the UNCHR representative in Canada.

"Canada has always played an important international role in alleviating and finding solutions to the plight of refugees worldwide."

Canada welcomes 10,000 to 12,000 refugees from 70 difference countries every year, the equivalent of roughly one out of 10 refugees resettled globally, the UNHCR said.