Trudeau Liberals fire back at provinces for not taking more asylum seekers

Alex Dhaliwal
  |   September 19, 2024   |   Be the first to comment

A Trudeau cabinet minister continued his tirade against premiers who refused taking in more asylum seekers. Immigration Minister Marc Miller called it “a complete crock of crap.”

During the Council of Federation meetings, Premier Smith complained Alberta was not privy to extra federal dollars to aid the resettlement of asylum seekers, while Ontario and Quebec received considerable funding.

"There's money on the table," Minister Miller said. "There's over a billion dollars that we've committed," he added.

The Trudeau government earlier pledged $750 million to Quebec after heralding concerns from Premier François Legault. Similarly, Toronto and Ottawa received $162 million and $32 million earlier this year, respectively.

"Alberta’s government has received nothing," confirmed a spokesperson for Alberta’s Ministry of Immigration and Multiculturalism.

Minister Miller contends the premier has "decided to weaponize the issue." Smith clarified Alberta has "always welcomed newcomers who possess our shared values."

She opposed the federal government’s "unrestricted" immigration policies Tuesday, citing housing shortages and growing demand for essential services. Housing asylum seekers is a provincial responsibility, according to the Department of Immigration. 

“It's always based on a consensual model — the consent of asylum seekers first and foremost, but also the consent of the provinces,” Miller said during a CBC interview.

“The challenge we were talking about is what to do with all of the asylum seekers who are concentrated very heavily in two provinces, Ontario and Quebec,” he added.

Data shows Québec has accepted 300,000 more migrants, not including permanent residents, over the past two years. As of January 1, 2024, the province housed 54% of all asylum seekers in Canada.

On July 17, Premier Smith said her province is in a "very similar position" to Quebec. At the time, she told reporters that Alberta takes in 22% of newcomers despite having 12% of Canada’s population.

Smith earlier declined to welcome more migrants into the province, reported the Globe and Mail. She pledged to support any government that reigns in immigration levels to match the last Conservative prime minister. 

“A bunch of provinces have accused you of trying to impose asylum seekers on them without compensation and you took aim at them. Blaine Higgs and Tim Houston, in particular, of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia,” said CBC Host David Cochrane.

“I think what they're advancing, David, is a complete crock of crap,” replied Minister Miller. He notes Ontario and Quebec are taking an “undue burden,” claiming each province should do their “fair share."

He earlier said the number of asylum claimants "aren't going down drastically anytime soon," despite 60% of Canadians saying immigration levels are too high. 

As one of three provinces to oppose the resettlement of more migrants, the Alberta government says it will not budge. The flow of asylum seekers to the province has more than tripled to 3,740 claimants, according to federal data.

“I think these conservative premiers are weaponizing the issue,” Minister Miller told CBC News.

“They’re turning that council into a joke if they don't respect their own words,” he said. “We all need to do our part.”

Alex Dhaliwal

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