In many Canadian cities, social services are overwhelmed by the influx of asylum seekers.
In 2022, almost 92,000 applicants settled in Canada. Around 70,000 more have been added since the beginning of the year.
Allan Reesor-McDowell, executive director of Matthew House, an organization that helps refugees, says conflict, oppression and poverty have led to a massive influx of unassisted migrants. These require close attention from community services in several major cities across the country, such as Toronto and Ottawa. They are particularly important in homeless shelters.
For example, he says that his 13 transition centers with a total capacity of more than 90 beds are fully booked. Before the pandemic, refugees could stay there for three to four months before settling into permanent residence. Today the stay can last up to six months.
“It’s harder to find housing now,” he notes.
Mr Reesor-McDowell regrets that the government has long neglected this crisis. He calls for better funding for organizations that specialize in caring for unsponsored newcomers. He accuses the government of investing in short-term solutions such as hotel rooms.
“It’s nothing new,” he says. If you don’t take care of a problem that has bothered you for years, it could jump in your face. »
In his opinion, organizations like his are the best solution to help unassisted refugees when they arrive in the country.
They help these newcomers get legal counsel, obtain work permits and jobs, secure permanent housing, and become independent.
The number of applicants arriving in Canada is not overwhelming. It could be easily managed if nonprofit services were given the resources they need, says Reesor-McDowell.
” It’s not that hard. We already know what to do. Our programs are very effective and inexpensive. We need to build capacity across the country. And that’s not a problem. »
According to Stéphanie Plante, an Ottawa city councilwoman, hotels or Airbnb apartments could be a short-term solution. She believes they could replace the community centers that currently serve as emergency shelters until longer-term solutions are found.
She argues that using such centers in low-income neighborhoods deprives children of a resource.
“We are able to favor vulnerable people over vulnerable people. In these sectors there is a kind of competition for limited resources. »
But in the long run, Ms. Plante sees a long-term solution in no longer letting the bureaucracy interfere with the process. She proposes converting vacant government offices into housing and giving developers incentives to construct buildings in former industrial areas, in former factories or on formerly contaminated land.
“I want to see cranes in the sky, I want to see people working. I want to see them hit the hammer. I want to see buildings. »