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On Tuesday's live stream, Sheila Gunn Reid and Lise Merle reacted to Doug Ford calling on the federal government to speed up the process of granting work permits for asylum seekers staying in taxpayer-funded hotels.

Ford made the comments while speaking to reporters on Monday, noting the federal government has spent over $1 billion in recent years housing the migrants in hotels while they await work permits.

The Ontario premier was previously criticized after claiming he would bypass the federal government and grant work permits for tens of thousands of asylum seekers living in hotels in the province.

Doug Ford expands on his desire to speed up work permits for tens of thousands of asylum seekers at taxpayer-funded hotels.

"If you have a pulse and you're healthy, you need to be working," he says. pic.twitter.com/lemsub1NT5

— Rebel News (@RebelNewsOnline) July 28, 2025

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has confirmed that federal funding for asylum seekers staying in taxpayer-funded hotels will end on September 30 of this year.

Sheila criticized Ford's assertion that simply granting work permits to tens of thousands of migrants will solve major economic issues.

"There's something missing in all of this Doug, and that's the jobs. You don't have the supply of jobs for these people," she said. "Here's his problem: they said they're going to cut off funding to the migrant hotels which means provinces are going to pick it up because nobody plans to deport these people."

Sheila went on: "So no Doug, don't give these people work permits. Send them back, and then send everybody else back too so that young Ontarians can find work."

Canada's immigration department now says it will help asylum seekers currently staying in taxpayer-funded hotels find more stable, long-term housing.