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Showing posts with the label #asylum

Canada announced a $7 million investment for asylum seekers

Canada announced a $7 million investment for asylum seekers Facing increased asylum claims and shelter pressure, Canada announced a $7 million investment for a new reception center in the Peel Region. Operated in partnership with community organizations, this center will offer services and additional shelter for asylum claimants.  The government has provided nearly $700 million to provinces and municipalities since 2017 through the Interim Housing Assistance Program (IHAP), which was extended with an additional $212 million. The federal government has procured temporary accommodations to alleviate local shelter pressure, currently housing over 7,000 asylum claimants across Canada. The Honourable Marc Miller, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship stated: "We recognize the significant challenges that provinces and municipalities, such as Peel Region, are facing as a result of the increase in asylum claims, and we will continue to work closely with them to find solutions.

Why are there still increasing numbers of asylum claims in Canada?

  Why are there still increasing numbers of asylum claims in Canada? In March, Roxham Road, a pathway used by many asylum seekers to enter Canada, had been closed. However, Canada has still processed over 80,000 asylum applications this year.  This is partly due to expedited visa processing and more straightforward asylum claims at airports in Montreal and Toronto. Immigration offices in Ontario and Quebec also receive inland claimants who entered Canada legally or illegally.  Part of the answer, it appears, is that Montreal and Toronto's international airports have become magnets for asylum seekers. According to Radio-Canada, immigration officials secretly implemented a new policy to speed temporary visa processing, including eliminating the requirement for applicants to provide proof that they will leave Canada at the end of their stay. This is said to have made it simpler for persons who would typically struggle to get tourist visas to enter and then claim asylum upon arrival. T