(Halifax) The immigration ministers of New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and Labrador have pledged to accept asylum seekers who have entered Canada outside of official entry points, primarily through the Roxham Road passage in Quebec.
Posted at 6:19 p.m
After meeting with provincial and territorial ministers in Halifax, Federal Immigration Secretary Sean Fraser said Friday he could not put a figure on the number of asylum seekers the Atlantic provinces could take.
Fraser, the Central Nova horseback riding MP for Nova Scotia, told reporters that a cap was not mentioned because the region routinely exceeds expectations when it comes to welcoming newcomers.
Nova Scotia Immigration Minister Jill Balser said the province has so far accepted 134 asylum seekers who have arrived in Quebec, and New Brunswick Immigration Minister Arlene Dunn said the province has accepted 57.
Newfoundland and Labrador Immigration Minister Gerry Byrne did not say whether the province has already taken in some of those asylum seekers, but he said it was ready to take some in the next few days.
Fraser said the federal government is working with provinces to have newcomers fill out skill questionnaires upon arrival “to signal what talents they have to contribute to the local economy.”
The 57 refugee applicants sent to New Brunswick have already completed skills questionnaires, Fraser said.
Prince Edward Island, which is completing the first week of its provincial campaign, was not represented at the meeting.
The transfer of asylum seekers to the Atlantic provinces comes as the Quebec government has been saying for months that it can no longer cope with the influx of migrants entering Canada via an irregular border crossing at the New York state border.
The federal government reported that more than 39,000 people sought asylum in Quebec in 2022 after entering Canada outside of official ports of entry, primarily via the Roxham Road intersection.
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