The reception of an asylum-seeker costs 8400 $ per year

Photo Agence QMI, TOMA ICZKOVITS
Approximately 9000 migrants have entered irregularly in Quebec this summer by the rang Roxham, Saint-Bernard-de-Lacolle. Canada has committed, through international agreements, to take charge until a decision is taken on their asylum application.

Matthew Payen

Monday, 4 September 2017, 06:30

UPDATE
Monday, 4 September 2017, 06:30

Look at this article

The first year of an asylum-seeker costs a little more than 8400 $ in Quebec, according to the calculations of the Log. A figure that would be very far from the 29 000 $, which have been circulated on the internet.

“You have to be wary of the costs are wacky, that can be read on the social networks,” says Philippe Hurteau, researcher at the Institute of research and socioeconomic information (IRIS).

It denounces the generalization of extreme cases such as that of $ 29,000 a year who had done a tour of the web at the arrival of syrian refugees in 2015.

“I don’t know too much about how one arrives at such a figure, but it is sure that for a very large family, it can approach $ 20,000 for the first year here,” said Mr. Hurteau.

Our calculation

In the absence of official figures, The Journal has compiled the existing data to try to have the right time.

The first expense relates to the temporary accommodation offered to the arrival of migrants in the Montreal area.

The only official figure is the cost of the olympic Stadium, is$ 1.5 Million for 600 seats for seven weeks. Knowing that the migrants will remain about a month in temporary accommodation, this is equivalent to 1250 $ per person for this first month, food included.

During their temporary accommodation, asylum seekers are also entitled to transportation cards a week at $ 25.75 each.

Once they have left the accommodation centres, asylum seekers are entitled to social assistance. The amounts paid are a bit higher than what the rest of the population to compensate for the fact that asylum seekers are not entitled to a tax credit for the solidarity.

If you add up these figures, considering that the person will probably not be of the year due to delays in obtaining a work permit, we get a average cost of 8425 $ per asylum seeker for his first year in Quebec.

Not included

This figure varies if this person comes in the family since the calculation of social assistance takes into account the spouse and children.

Our calculation, however, does not take into account the costs of education for some 800 children arrived in the United States by the rang Roxham Saint-Bernard-de-Lacolle, this summer.

It does not include the legal assistance to which asylum seekers are entitled to.

Finally, we have not included the expenditure under the federal government, which are not communicated for the most part, and that have an impact on all Canadians.

In these expenses, it has the accommodation under a tent at the border, the addition of staff at Immigration Canada, overtime for police and customs officers or the care provided by the interim federal health Program.

Other calculation

The result of our calculation is similar to that which had obtained for us by Philippe Hurteau, of the IRIS. It was served to the budgets of the provincial government in 2015-2016.

By adding the amounts allocated to the immigration plan of the government and those invested by the various departments involved in the assistance to migrants – Education, Work and Health, he arrived at a total of 383 Million or$ 7819 $ per year and per person.

If it is estimated that 9000 migrants have crossed the border illegally this summer, the cost of this wave for Quebec is a little more than $75 million.

Costs for a person according to the calculations of the Log

Temporary accommodation (1 month) 1250 $

Maps of transport STM (4 weeks) 103 $

Social assistance (11 months) 7072 $

Total 8425 $

Other costs

Education 10 of $678 per pupil to the public (data from 2012-2013)

Budget of the interim federal health Program, $50 Million (2016-2017)

Does it make the figures public ?

For the canadian taxpayers Federation (FCC), the government must be more transparent, but for the researcher, Philippe Hurteau, this is not the first priority.

Lately, no point to press ministers on the issue of migrants takes place without a question on the costs incurred by the situation.

In response, the federal government explained that the expenditures are current and that it is therefore impossible to draw up a balance sheet.

At the provincial level, the department of Immigration has informed The Newspaper that steps have been taken by the departments concerned in order to recognize the costs.

“The exercise will be coordinated by the secretariat of the treasury Board later this year “, we were told.

For Carl Valley, from the FCC, it is clearly a lack of transparency.

“I was part of a government and I know that departments are aware of these figures, writes the former spokesperson for Stephen Harper. But it must be the political will to make it public. “

Opposition

Mr. Valley believes that it is not reasonable to accept these costs, then we can barely feed our elders in NURSING homes.

This argument irritates Philippe Hurteau. “We need to stop placing our frail people, says the researcher of the IRIS. The money that is put into the reception of migrants is in any way not go to the elders. “

Mr. Hurteau is convinced that governments know the costs, but, according to him, there is no urgent need to disclose it.

“The cost issue should not distract us from the real issue, which is of a humanitarian nature,” he said. The issue of costs and how to minimize them in the future will arise later. “