Canadian cities buckling under immigration influx

The Canadian Press / Ryan Remiorz

Canada has experienced a historic influx of immigration in recent years, and it’s hitting Canadian cities hard.

Cities like Brampton, Ontario – a suburban region nestled within the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) – are grappling with an overwhelming strain on resources, pushing temporary shelters to their breaking point as they try to accommodate a record number of asylum seekers.

Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown reports that the shelter system is operating at a staggering 300% capacity, with asylum-seekers occupying more than 70% of the beds and many more are left to fend for themselves on the streets, as reported by Bloomberg.

"It's an unsightly situation," remarks Mayor Brown, whose city is home to nearly 700,000 residents and finds itself on the doorstep of the country’s busiest airport, Toronto Pearson. "If Canada is going to open its arms to more asylum claimants, we must ensure they aren't left abandoned. Yet what we've witnessed is a woeful lack of support."

The situation in Brampton is a microcosm of Canada’s progressive immigration targets as lack of policy and strategic planning has resulted in historic population growth that Canada cannot adequately absorb, as finally admitted by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau earlier this week.

PM Trudeau admits Canada has "grown at a rate far beyond" what the country can handle due to temporary foreign workers and international students.

Trudeau adds the Liberals' 500K regular immigrants are "a part of the necessary growth of Canada."https://t.co/vD78U4ZuZQ pic.twitter.com/DZqr5vLLdF

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These grandiose and poorly planned immigration targets have exacerbated Canada’s housing crisis, leading to significant spikes in homelessness and placing strain on various social systems, including healthcare, food banks, shelter services and employment resources.

In a rare moment of introspection, PM Trudeau acknowledges that immigration into Canada has reached a critical mass – extending beyond what Canada 'can absorb.'

FULL REPORT by @TamaraUgo: https://t.co/3Z5Ifl5TG5

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Mayor Brown asserts there is a lack of federal assistance to meet the demands faced by municipalities grappling with this strain. Despite provinces and cities receiving approximately $360 million in January to alleviate housing pressures from asylum seekers, which bolstered a previous commitment of $750 million in 2017, Brown says this isn’t enough.

Premier Doug Ford says PM Trudeau's mass immigration policy has caused Ontario's housing crisis.

Ford says the feds never told him immigration would be so high. "That's the reason," Ford says he needs to develop the Greenbelt. pic.twitter.com/iBuKG4d0XK

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Brampton still faces an annual shortfall exceeding $20 million, Brown claims, to adequately address the shelter shortfall. This is a figure projected to triple in the coming months and years as the strain extends beyond asylum seekers, encompassing record population growth fueled by foreign workers and international students.

"If we are to be a beacon of refuge for those fleeing adversity, we cannot leave them out in the cold," said Mayor Brown.