By Canadian Press

Quebec calls out Ottawa for ‘inaction’ on asylum seekers, demands $1B compensation

Feb 20, 2024 | 10:59 AM

QUEBEC — The Quebec government is ramping up pressure on Ottawa to do more to ease the strain on its services caused by an influx of asylum seekers.

Three provincial ministers held a news conference today demanding that the federal government stop the arrival of would-be refugees in Quebec and transfer those already in the province more equally across the country.

They say Quebec, which has less than a quarter of the Canadian population, receives 55 per cent of all asylum seekers.

The ministers are also calling on Ottawa to fully reimburse the province for what they say is $1 billion spent in the past three years settling refugee claimants.

Today’s news conference follows a series of public complaints by Quebec on the refugee issue, with the ministers saying the $150 million pledged so far by Ottawa to help the province house asylum seekers is not nearly enough.

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Education Minister Bernard Drainville told reporters that the number of arriving children who need to attend school and learn French is leading to a “breaking point” in the school system.

Quebec Immigration Minister Christine Fréchette accuses Ottawa of “inaction” and suggests there isn’t a sense of urgency among federal officials to deal with the issue.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 20, 2024.

The Canadian Press

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