A memo to Housing Minister Gregor Robertson indicates over 10% of homeless shelter beds are occupied by illegal immigrants and refugee claimants, according to Blacklock’s. Actual figures are likely higher but unrecorded due to "sanctuary cities" like Vancouver.

A February 28 Briefing Note To The Minister Of Housing revealed that immigrants, resettled refugees, and asylum claimants were more likely to use family shelters than Canadian citizens. They constituted 13% of survey respondents, with 29% in temporary housing like motels.

Nationwide homeless shelter surveys reveal increased use by non-citizens, particularly resettled refugees and asylum seekers, whose homelessness rates are rising post-pandemic.

.@HICC_ca memo to @GregorRobertson says shelter use by illegal immigrants & refugee claimants is up & likely worse than feared since "sanctuary" cities like @CityOfVancouver refuse to keep records.  https://t.co/iw4TtLoCIU #cdnpoli @CitImmCanada pic.twitter.com/hFSYm5FK2t

— Blacklock's Reporter (@mindingottawa) August 26, 2025

Infrastructure Canada reported that 43.5% of asylum seekers experienced homelessness within a year of arrival, compared to 15.4% of resettled refugees and 6.5% of immigrants. These figures rose after Covid-era border closures ended.

Over three million foreigners with temporary permits, including expired ones, are in Canada. A Briefing Note indicates that as border measures and eviction moratoria eased from 2021-2023, the number of non-citizens in shelters gradually rose.

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A departmental survey, Homelessness And Immigration In Canada From 2020 To 2023, suggests actual homelessness figures among non-citizens are likely higher than reported, partly due to poor record-keeping by sanctuary cities.

Sanctuary cities like Toronto, Hamilton, London, and Montreal have "access without fear" policies in shelters. These policies protect non-citizens from deportation or detention by not requiring citizenship data when accessing services. Additionally, Vancouver, Edmonton, and Ajax have adopted their own local sanctuary policies.

https://twitter.com/rebelnews_ca/status/178759334825912351

Infrastructure Canada hasn't estimated the cost of sheltering illegal immigrants or refugee claimants, a figure Liberal MPs have repeatedly withheld from parliamentarians, according to Blacklock's.

Immigration Minister Lena Diab also refused to comment on estimates of up to 500,000 illegals in Canada, stating border agents handle removals and the government relies on voluntary departures.

In 2023, 2.3 million foreigners came to Canada, including over one million students and 766,250 temporary workers. Millions are now facing expired or nearly expired visas through 2025.

A 2017 Parliamentary Budget Office report, Costing Irregular Migration Across Canada’s Southern Border, estimated average costs at $33,700 per person due to lengthy appeals.

The total cost of illegal immigration for local authorities, school boards, food banks and charities remains unknown.

Immigration Minister Marc Miller says illegal immigrants entering Canada from the US "are not welcome."

Ironically, PM Trudeau infamously said "#WelcomeToCanada" in response to Trump's travel ban on several unstable countries like Syria and Yemen almost exactly 8 years ago. pic.twitter.com/oqXFwMmMAO

— Rebel News (@RebelNewsOnline) January 15, 2025

According to 2024 immigration data, 200,000+ asylum claimants cost Canadian taxpayers $16.35 billion annually. The backlog has since grown to 291,975.

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre criticized the surge in Canada's asylum backlog. “These new numbers mean more delays, turning Canada’s asylum process into a waiting room of broken promises.”

Roula Eatrides, deputy chair of the refugee protection division at the Immigration Refugee Board, confirmed that processing a single claim took 14 months, but has tripled (44 months) in recent years.

Asylum seekers receive $81,760 per person annually in legal assistance, housing, food and medical care, which averages out to $11,260 more than the typical Canadian salary.