On Monday night, the federal government responded to Prime Minister François Legault’s letter demanding that Ottawa pay its debt to Quebec and divert all asylum seekers to other provinces.
• Also read: Roxham Street : Justin Trudeau doesn’t take François Legault seriously, believes the leader of the PQ
• Also read: Roxham Street : Legault ups the pressure on Trudeau
“We recognize the hard work the province has done to support asylum seekers. Housing costs for asylum seekers in 2021 and 2022 will be reimbursed through the housing bridging assistance program [PALP]Ottawa responded via press release.
The Canadian government has so far granted US$374 million under the PALP.
The federal government argued that the province ‘continues to be a valued partner’ and that ‘despite dedicated relief efforts, Quebec is under immense pressure on its services and resources as the majority of asylum seekers continue to arrive via Roxham Road’.
“A pan-Canadian approach is essential to addressing this global challenge, which is why the Canadian government has transferred thousands of asylum seekers outside of Quebec to Ontario since June 2022. We are also actively working with other provinces and municipalities to identify new temporary housing and settlement programs such as skills matching for employers and language training for asylum seekers,” the government argued.
“Our work with the United States to update the Safe Third Countries Agreement continues. As we move closer to that goal, we encourage those wishing to enter Canada to recognize the risks of irregular border crossing and to explore the diverse immigration programs Canada offers,” he adds.