Among the 380 people who took this irregular passage on Saturday and Sunday, only 8 remained in Quebec, said the minister during a press scrum on Tuesday.
We are very happy
said Ms. Fréchette.
« The problem [de l’entrée massive de migrants irréguliers au pays] remains, but still it is an improvement, it is a step in the right direction. »
However, it is too early to say whether this approach will be maintained by the federal government, again according to the minister. We are waiting for confirmation.
information quant à ce qui s’est passé [lundi], mais nous, on s’attend à ce que cette nouvelle approche perdure et fasse en sorte que l’ensemble des futurs demandeurs d’asile soit redirigé vers d’autres provinces, parce que la capacité d’accueil du Québec, elle est dépassée.","text":"Je n’ai pas d’information quant à ce qui s’est passé [lundi], mais nous, on s’attend à ce que cette nouvelle approche perdure et fasse en sorte que l’ensemble des futurs demandeurs d’asile soit redirigé vers d’autres provinces, parce que la capacité d’accueil du Québec, elle est dépassée."">I have no information as to what happened [lundi]but we expect this new approach to continue and ensure that all future asylum seekers are redirected to other provinces, because Quebec’s reception capacity is exceeded .
It’s a first step
she added. Will other provinces be involved? Potentially…
A reception commensurate with the political weight of Quebec
The Government of Quebec has long asked Ottawa to find solutions to the large and incessant influx of asylum seekers in the province, whose reception capacities are limited.
Minister Fréchette also mentioned on Tuesday the significant pressure that was put on our government programs and host organizations
because of this marked influx of irregular migrants.
or 23%”,”text”:”We are asking that the proportion of asylum seekers who stay in Quebec be equivalent to the political weight of Quebec in Canada, so we are talking about 22 or 23%””>We ask that the proportion of asylum seekers who stay in Quebec be equivalent to the political weight of Quebec in Canada, so we are talking about 22 or 23%
underlined the minister. There, we would be in acceptable waters.
We’re really beyond that
she argued, indicating that around 60,000 asylum seekers had arrived in the country, including around 40,000 via Roxham Road in 2022. Of this number, Quebec, for example, would like to welcome a maximum of 14,000, approximately.
According to a source consulted by Radio-Canada, a total of 5,557 asylum seekers have been sent to Ontario by the federal government since June 30, at the request of Quebec, a number that has increased sharply in recent weeks.
Minister Fréchette explained on Tuesday that 500 additional hotel rooms had recently been reserved by the federal government to accommodate more migrants in Ontario.
At the end of December, Ottawa was renting some 1,860 hotel rooms in the Greater Montreal area.
Closing still requested?
Earlier this month, Christine Fréchette suggested that closing Roxham Road was not the solution to the problem of irregular immigration. She maintained that such a decision would be dangerous for the migrants and that another crossing point risked opening anyway.
A few hours later, she had done an about-face, instead taking up the CAQ position of the past few months which is calling on the federal government, which is responsible for border management, to close this passageway.
Asked about it on Tuesday, the minister remained vague about the need to close the now famous path. The real settlement of the issue will go through a solution that will put an end to the massive influx of asylum seekers
she said.
We think it requires a renegotiation of the Safe Third Country Agreement. Now it’s up to the federal government to decide.
With information from Romain Schué
