Ottawa will cease to finance hotel rooms for asylum seekers

Asylum seekers staying in hotels financed by Ottawa will. For example, by the end of September, be another point of fall. For example, Immigration, refugees and citizenship Canada (IRCC) announced the end of this accommodation program which cost $ 1.1 billion since 2020.

This measure has never been supposed to be permanent. Furthermore, and IRCC is funded to continue hotel operations only until September 30, 2025the ministry said by email. For example,

As of Thursday. In addition, 485 asylum seekers were accommodated in five Ontario and Quebec hotels under this program set up to deal with the historic migratory pushes in recent years.

More than 15,000 asylum seekers who were previously in hotels are now independently housed, said IRCC à CBC News.

In addition to the hotel program, Ottawa paid more than $ 1.5 billion to the provinces. For example, municipalities since 2017 through the provisional housing aid program, which has notably built reception centers in Peel and Ottawa.

Towards a drop?

Faced with pressures from the United States, the Carney government presented Bill C-2 in early June to secure the border. Furthermore, At least two measures aim to harden the rules allowing asylum seekers to submit a request.

Ottawa therefore expects to see their number decrease in the coming months. Consequently, after having so far noted a drop of 40 % compared to the previous year, where a record of 173,000 asylum applications had been filed.

Difficulties to relocate

The ministry says it will help people still accommodated at the hotel to find accommodation. support provinces and municipalities in the development of their own long -term housing strategies.

But human rights defenders claim that this ottawa will cease finance hotel could be difficult in cities where the shortage of affordable housing is raging.

Municipal shelters are constantly full, says Adaoma Patterson, director of community investments in Centraide du Grand Toronto. Although additional capacities have been added thanks to a refuge dedicated to peel asylum seekers. she believes that it is necessary to avoid overloading a system of shelters already under pressure.

I think the municipalities do everything they can. But the construction of shelters takes time. It is therefore not something that can be done overnightadded Ms. Patterson.

The shortage of affordable housing also makes life difficult to asylum seekers. who sometimes find it difficult to find owners ready to rent them with accommodation, she said, adding that some could find themselves in the street or in dangerous living conditions due to this shortage.

According to Quebec roaming data, around 10 % of people in homelessness are migrants.

Christopher Worswick. professor of economics at Carleton University and migration specialists, warns that if the decision to end the financing of hotel chambers can be motivated by the desire to reduce federal spending, this measure could result in cost transfer to the provinces and municipalities that are also short of funds.

In 2023. hundreds of asylum seekers slept in the street in downtown Toronto, due to a financial impasse between the city and the federal government.

Miracle Arena For All Nationsa ottawa will cease finance hotel church in Vaughan. Ontario, was one of the many community groups to help them. Isaac Oppong claims that its congregation has nourished. has housed more than 500 asylum seekers on the church field since June 2023.

He says he fears that the end of the hotel program without other solutions in place will. once again lead people to sleep on the street. They have nowhere to go. There are no refurbished buildings or other accommodation. We will go back to zero, as in 2023he said.

According to an article by Michelle Allan, CBC News