Invoice of $ 146 million: Quebec asked Ottawa for all costs incurred for crisis migrants

Photo Marie-Ève Dumont

Alain Laforest

Wednesday, march 21, 2018 17:45

UPDATE
Wednesday, march 21, 2018 17:46

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In a letter of three pages, including TVA News has obtained a copy, the Immigration ministers David Heurtel, and Relationships canadian Jean-Marc Fournier calling for the federal reimbursement of the full amounts incurred for the support of asylum seekers.

“Our estimates to date tell us that we are already at $ 146 million,” explains David Heurtel. Not only is it necessary to claim these fees from the federal government, but it is also necessary to review in depth the system that creates these costs.”

He reiterated that the management of the movement of applicants is the responsibility of the federal government, but that during this situation that he described as exceptional, Québec has had to bear the costs for the assistance of last resort, the accommodation, health care, education, legal aid.

Adapt to the realities of québec

In the letter sent to the federal minister of Immigration, wrote that since the federal reform in 2012, the number of asylum seekers in Quebec has gone from 3500 to nearly 25 000 in 2017, an increase of 700 %.

“In Quebec, it was more than 50% of asylum seekers in Canada, it is a particular reality, then we cannot have an immigration system, a system of asylum-seekers, which is exactly the same for the whole country. We are in a new reality in relation to asylum applications, we see the president Trump will stop,” laments Mr. Heurtel.

In the one day on Tuesday, pointed out the minister to TVA News, there will be fifty people who will enter illegally in Quebec. “It takes a modern system that can quickly process the requests of asylum, which is also able to meet our needs in terms of manpower, so if there are people crossing, it is necessary to quickly put them to work,” insisted the minister, who repeats that only 10% of applicants remain in Canada after a process that can take up to five years.

For the future, the government of Quebec calls for the establishment of a compensation process. We welcomes the investment of 173 million from Ottawa to support security operations to the u.s.-canada border and the treatment of asylum applications to come, stressing that it is insufficient.