The federal government is considering the purchase of hotels to accommodate the increasing number of asylum seekers in response to the “unprecedented flows” of migrants and refugees.
“Purchasing and converting hotels is one of the options being considered, among others. Any decisions and updates will be communicated in due course,” a spokesperson from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) stated in an email to The Epoch Times.
The IRCC acknowledged that Canada is not exempt from the global trend of migrants and refugees seeking refuge in other countries and emphasized Ottawa’s commitment to collaborating with municipalities, provinces, and territories to address the situation.
“While there is no simple solution, we are confident that with everyone’s involvement, we can implement enduring, sustainable, and compassionate measures to ensure that the most vulnerable newcomers have a place to stay,” the spokesperson added.
In January, Immigration Minister Marc Miller announced that Ottawa would be allocating an additional $362 million to provinces and municipalities to temporarily house asylum seekers, with $100 million of that funding designated for Quebec. At the time, Mr. Miller noted that 7,300 asylum claimants required accommodation and were occupying 4,000 hotel rooms across six provinces.
“This program is crucial in providing shelters for people, especially given the current weather conditions. However, it requires reform, which will be worked on in the coming months,” Mr. Miller stated. “We owe it to Canadians to revamp a system that has been mainly a short-term measure since 2017 to handle significant migratory flows.”
According to a report presented to the Senate national finance committee by the IRCC in May, the department has spent $1.76 billion on direct subsidies for temporary shelter for asylum seekers since 2017. The report highlighted that the increased number of claimants required the federal government to intervene despite the initial expectation for claimants to find their own housing or use provincial/municipal shelters.
The agency emphasized Budget 2024’s allocation of $1.1 billion over three years to expand the Interim Housing Assistance Program. Funding beyond 2026-27 will be contingent on provincial and municipal investments in permanent transitional housing solutions for asylum claimants, transitioning from an emergency response to establishing longer-term temporary housing options.
Rising Immigration
In addition to the surge in asylum claims, Canada has welcomed unprecedented levels of immigrants in recent years, intensifying the pressure on housing. The country admitted 437,000 new permanent residents in 2022, followed by 471,000 in 2023.
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre has consistently pledged to align the number of new immigrants entering Canada with the housing availability. During a recent interview in Quebec, he indicated that immigration figures under his administration would be significantly lower than current levels.
“Inviting 1.2 million new people to Canada annually when only 200,000 homes are being built is not feasible. There simply isn’t enough space. Quebec is reaching its breaking point,” he emphasized.
Mr. Poilievre’s stance echoed that of Quebec Premier François Legault, who warned in January that the province was nearing a breaking point due to the influx of asylum seekers. He noted that Quebec received more asylum seekers than the rest of Canada combined in 2022, urging Ottawa to tighten visa issuance policies.
In response to immigration concerns, Mr. Miller announced in March that Canada would impose a “soft cap” on new temporary resident arrivals when implementing its immigration plan in the fall. This move aims to reduce the percentage of temporary residents from 6.2% to five percent of the population over the next three years.
In May, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau outlined the need for establishing a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants while expediting deportation proceedings when necessary. He affirmed the government’s commitment to adjusting the immigration system to ensure a proper influx of individuals to support community and economic growth.
Ottawa recently
announced the discontinuation of allowing foreign nationals with temporary status in Canada to apply for post-graduation work permits at the border. Mr. Miller highlighted in June that this measure would reduce “flagpoling,” a method used by temporary residents to bypass lengthy wait times associated with online or paper applications.
