Canada said Friday it's moving to reunite tsunami-stricken orphans with their Canadian relatives by speeding up immigration applications for children from devastated South Asian countries.

Immigration Minister Judy Sgro said her department will waive the normal fees for Canadian citizens and permanent residents who want to sponsor an orphaned child.

"If we can have them here in a couple of weeks, believe me, we would like to have them here in a couple of weeks," Sgro told a news conference.

"We're talking brothers, sisters, nieces and nephews at the moment."

Children are eligible for fast-tracking if they're single, under the age of 18 and have lost all family members in South Asia, said Sgro.

It wasn't immediately known how many orphans could come to Canada from the 11 countries hit by the powerful waves that have killed nearly 150,000 people since Dec. 26.

The government announced earlier in the week that it would fast-track about 1,000 immigration applications from people who have relatives in tsunami-ravaged areas. Sgro only revealed the specific emphasis on children Friday.

"Our government's first priority is going to be to assist in reuniting children with their living relatives."

But a major children's-relief group suggested Friday the government may be moving too quickly to bring traumatized children to Canada.

Meg Hirst of UNICEF Canada said young tsunami victims can suffer additional harm if they're removed from their home countries.

"UNICEF has a policy of waiting a couple of years in order to confirm those things and not to make any kinds of quick decisions," said Hirst, whose UN agency is one of the world's leading children's rights advocates.

"If you've got people who are injured or unable to communicate, if you have children who are younger and so they can't clearly tell you who their extended family members are, you need to do background research."

Hirst, whose agency does field work for international adoptions, said UNICEF speaks with teachers or local leaders to build a profile of a child's family relationships.

Immigration spokesman Robert Gervais said the government will work with officials in the affected countries to ensure no children are sent to Canada if they still have living relatives in South Asia.

The government says it will speed up the children's immigration applications by waiving certain fees, which can run as high as $1,200 per individual.

All potential immigrants to Canada will have to undergo medical and security checks.

Sgro has travelled across the country this week to consult with affected communities on additional tsunami-aid measures.

She'll report to Prime Minister Paul Martin on Tuesday with her findings.

The minister said a number of Canadians have expressed an interest in adopting a South Asian village.

"The idea of adopting a village and being able to go in there and see that your fundraising dollars go to that community is something that really appeals to a lot of us," she said.

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Hurat Honani Murat!