The BC government has said it’s “doing our part” when it comes to taking in asylum seekers, but insisted: “We need Ottawa to do theirs.”
In a statement sent to NowMedia, the Ministry of Municipal Affairs said “housing capacity is the most critical factor” when it comes to accepting people seeking asylum.
It comes after BC Conservatives Leader John Rustad claimed on Wednesday that the Trudeau government is “dumping” 22,000 asylum seekers on the province.
Rustad’s party told NowMedia the figure was based on a federal government document titled "Modeling [sic] Relocation of Asylum Claimants,” which lists the number of asylum seekers in each Canadian province. The document also lists the number of asylum seekers each province would host if claimants were distributed proportionately across the country.
The document lists BC as having 11,421 open asylum claims but, according to Ottawa's calculation, the figure would come to 32,544 if claimants were evenly distributed.
But the BC government said that it understands that “no decisions have been made by the federal government on this.”
According to the document, there are 235,825 “open” asylum claims across the whole of Canada, with the vast majority in Ontario (105,926) and Quebec (99,553).
Speaking to the press on Wednesday, Immigration Minister Marc Miller confirmed the authenticity of the document in question and said it was crucial that the provinces help Ontario and Quebec by taking in asylum seekers.
He said the federal government would never force provinces to take claimants, but added that Ottawa is looking at "measures to push provinces that are recalcitrant" when it comes to the distribution of asylum seekers.
"Right now, we could open up a hotel in any particular province and ship people there," he said. "That's an option. We have been moving people around to relieve pressure from Ontario and Quebec."
He added: "There's only so far the federal government can actually be nice and say, 'Please, please.' We also have levers that we need to pull and push."
Immigration Minister Marc Miller says Ottawa 'could open up a hotel in any particular province and ship people there' amid a dispute over the distribution of asylum seekers.
— KelownaNow (@KelownaNow) September 12, 2024
'There's only so far the federal government can actually be nice and say, "Please, please."'#cdnpoli pic.twitter.com/CvzXBqhqbG
The dispute has sparked fury in some provincial capitals, with premiers in Alberta, Nova Scotia, Saskatchewan and New Brunswick all decrying the idea that Ottawa could “unilaterally” send claimants to their provinces.
On Thursday, a spokeswoman for Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada denied the federal government would act unilaterally and stressed to NowMedia the importance of “consent” in the matter, but also said: "All options remain on the table."
The BC government told NowMedia today that it would need help from Ottawa if any claimants were sent west.
“Any plans to relocate asylum seekers requires supports from the federal government for housing solutions, as well as for services and infrastructure,” the Ministry of Municipal Affairs explained.
“All newcomers, including claimants, can successfully build lives in BC and contribute to our economy if they have the proper supports.”
It added: “We are doing our part – we need Ottawa to do theirs.”
British Columbians are already suffering from a brutal housing crisis, our healthcare & core services are stretched to the brink.
— John Rustad (@JohnRustad4BC) September 12, 2024
Expecting BC to bring in 22000 asylum seekers without federal support is unacceptable. Trudeau is out to lunch. #bcpoli https://t.co/bH3nkJz34f
In July of this year, Premier David Eby was asked whether BC would be willing to take in more asylum seekers.
He said then that the province’s population growth is “not sustainable,” claiming that “our schools are full” and that the numbers of people coming to BC are “completely overwhelming.”
He also said the premiers were interested in figuring out how “we link up our immigration targets and the federal government’s immigration work with the reality on the ground of what we have capacity for.”
The Ministry of Municipal Affairs, meanwhile, pointed to its quadrupling of funding for newcomer services, from $6 million to $25.6 million.
It also said the province has a “long history of welcoming refugees,” but emphasized: “We are in a housing crisis.”
The ministry added: “BC has also been advocating for a concrete commitment from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada to fund and manage the central functions of a voluntary relocation model including intake, transportation, shelter, and onsite services.”
