‘LOOMING CRISIS’
Ford government presses PM to find space for refugees sheltered in Toronto college dorms
TORONTO — Just a week after Doug Ford took office, the rift between his new Tory government and Justin Trudeau’s federal Liberals appears to be growing as they verbally spar over funding for refugees and asylum seekers in the province.
On Friday, the Ontario government said it faces a “looming crisis” next month if Ottawa doesn’t help find space for refugees and asylum seekers currently sheltered in college dorms.
Lisa MacLeod, provincial minister in charge of immigration, urged Trudeau to commit federal resources to relieve overcrowding in Toronto’s shelter system.
About 800 refugee claimants and asylum seekers are staying in Toronto college residences that must be vacated on Aug. 9 before students return.
“Those college dormitories are for students who are returning in the fall,” MacLeod said. “That space will be needed ... This is something that is very urgent. It is pressing. We have a looming crisis.”
MacLeod said she has submitted a request for funding and a list of federally owned spaces where people could be housed.
The federal government has so far offered $11 million in funding to the province, but MacLeod said that will cover a fraction of the costs incurred in Toronto alone.
“What I’m simply saying to the federal government (is), you have resources, you have assets in the City of Toronto, you’re going to need to use those,” she said. “We’re at capacity now.”
But Ottawa appeared to show signs Friday it may not hand over the millions in funding if Ontario isn’t a “willing partner” on the immigration file.
“That money was earmarked to deal with immediate housing pressures,” said Mathieu Genest, press secretary for federal Minister Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Ahmed Hussen. “We will need to make sure that Ontario’s a willing partner before that money flows just to make sure that that money is actually going to support the things we need it to support.”
Genest said the federal government is aware of the Aug. 9 deadline and will help the City of Toronto.
“There’s a number of options that could end up being the final one that is selected,” he said. “We’re working with Toronto to make sure that we have a plan in place to deal with that situation.”
MacLeod’s comments come a day after Premier Doug Ford said Trudeau had put a strain on local and provincial services by encouraging foreigners to come to Canada illegally.
Ford issued a statement just before his first meeting with Trudeau on Thursday, saying the federal government should foot 100 per cent of the bill for resettling the newcomers.
MacLeod repeated Friday that she thinks there has been “irresponsibility on the part of the federal government” by inviting “illegal” border crossing but declined to offer alternatives.
“I am not going to provide Justin Trudeau with solutions,” she said. “He has a government that he can run, and he can choose to work with us or he can choose to work against us.”
Meanwhile, a group of refugee advocates co-signed a statement Friday afternoon urging the Ontario government to stay engaged in “intergovernmental collaboration” on the refugee and asylum seeker issue.