Canada Planning Countrywide Relocation Of Asylum Seekers To Take Load Off Quebec And Ontario

The Canadian federal government has been considering a proposal to relocate tens of thousands of asylum seekers across the country to alleviate pressure on Quebec and Ontario. On Wednesday, Immigration Minister Marc Miller disclosed that initiatives will be taken to persuade provinces to admit more asylum applicants, even if it meant applying pressure to those that were hesitant to comply. According to a briefing paper that the National Post was able to get, 235,825 people are applying for asylum in Canada at the moment. The two most populated provinces in the country, Ontario and Quebec, have seen the bulk of these claims. Premiers had asked the federal government to look at ways to allocate asylum seekers equitably among all provinces based on population size in July in response to rising concerns.The implementation of a distribution scheme of this kind by the federal government would have a substantial effect on many provinces. For example, British Columbia would take in almost 32,500 asylum applicants, while Alberta would accept close to 28,000. A tiny province called Nova Scotia would receive 4,952 refugees. An immigration minister's office spokesman, Renée LeBlanc Proctor, acknowledged the cost that Ontario and Quebec bear disproportionately. "Quebec and Ontario are facing disproportionate pressures, as they have been welcoming the majority of asylum seekers," she said. She pointed out that the purpose of the briefing booklet was to help government ministers have more productive conversations on how to properly handle the inflow of asylum seekers. However, several provincial officials have already voiced opposition to the proposed proposal. Premier Blaine Higgs of New Brunswick voiced his worries in a speech on Wednesday in Moncton, following his revelation that the federal government was thinking of sending 4,600 asylum seekers to his province without providing funding. There are presently just 384 asylum seekers living in New Brunswick.Premier Higgs criticized the lack of federal support, stating, "The Trudeau government is essentially saying, ‘Here are 4,600 people, figure it out,’ and that is not acceptable." Although New Brunswick has a long history of embracing diversity, he stressed that the proposal's abrupt and unilateral character raised questions about the burden it would throw on the government. The relocation plan is in line with recommendations made by Christine Fréchette, the former minister of immigration for Quebec, in late July. Fréchette encouraged the federal government to implement a quota system for asylum seekers, depending on each province's ability, in a letter to Minister Miller. In order to promote compliance with the relocation plan, the letter also suggested restricting government accommodation help and limiting the employment permits of asylum seekers to particular provinces, as reported by CBC News.The federal briefing paper states that 99,553 asylum seekers are now being hosted in Quebec. Its proportionate share under the proposed distribution scheme would be little less than 52,000. With more than 105,000 asylum seekers, Ontario would have to pay about 91,000 of these claims. LeBlanc Proctor underscored the need of provincial cooperation, noting that although the federal government was willing to facilitate transfers and services, any relocation of asylum seekers would necessitate the agreement of those concerned. "As we work towards a fair and sustainable approach to managing the volume of asylum seekers, the federal government expects full cooperation from all provinces and territories," she said.As discussions continue, the federal government faces mounting pressure to find a balanced approach that addresses the needs of both asylum seekers and the provinces tasked with accommodating them.