Federal funds to help relocate asylum seekers

TORONTO • The federal government has made good on a promise to deliver $11 million to help the City of Toronto defray some of the costs associated with an influx of asylum seekers in recent months.

Border Security Minister Bill Blair made the announcement on Friday after meeting with Mayor John Tory, and said more financial support may be provided as talks with the city continue.

“These initial funds have been allocated to help alleviate the immediate pressures being experienced by the City of Toronto,” Blair said. “We continue to work toward longer-term solutions.”

Some of the money will be used to relocate hundreds of irregular border crossers who’ve spent the past few months in dormitories at two major Toronto-area colleges. They will be sent to hotels and motels, Blair said. The dorms at Humber and Centennial colleges will be empty before a previously announced deadline of Aug. 9, he added.

More than 400 new arrivals were living in the dorms at one time, but Blair said that number has dropped considerably in recent days. He said officials reported 272 people still in residence as of Friday morning. Toronto will cover costs on transportation and logistics related to the asylum seekers, Blair said.

“The federal government announcement today is an important step and helps us address the immediate pressure we faced in housing those living in the two Toronto dormitories,” said Tory. “The minister has also indicated further discussions that will be held on additional funding to come our way.”

The $11 million earmarked for Toronto was announced in June as part of a $50-million commitment to Quebec, Ontario and Manitoba to help cover some of the costs they have borne as a result of the ongoing spike in asylum seekers crossing the Canada-U.S. border irregularly.

Last week, the Ontario provincial government requested $200 million from the federal government to pay the costs of asylum seekers living in Ontario, including other areas in the province such as Ottawa. Lisa MacLeod, Ontario’s minister responsible for immigration, sent a letter demanding the funding after she clashed with the Liberal government over its handling of the asylum-seeker issue.

Blair said on Friday that the federal government is “not having a spat” with the province.

“I’m very interested in working with the province,” said Blair, who added that there are “ongoing discussions” with MacLeod regarding the province’s request.

“I look forward to hearing more particulars on what those expenses might be.” he said.

A spokesman for Premier Doug Ford said details of the costs incurred by the province were outlined in MacLeod’s letter, which he said Ottawa hasn’t responded to.

Federal Conservative immigration critic Michelle Rempel also criticized the $11 million given to Toronto, saying it was “another example of an unbudgeted, Band-Aid solution” by the Liberal government.

“Justin Trudeau can’t keep throwing money at this crisis and hope it will go away,” she said in a statement.

A new survey released Friday shows two-thirds of Canadians consider the current situation involving irregular border crossers “a crisis.” The Angus Reid Institute online poll of 1,500 Canadians asked a number of questions gauging views on how government is managing the border.

TRUDEAU CAN’T KEEP THROWING MONEY AT THIS CRISIS.