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Quebec says there are still too many asylum seekers entering the province

Click to play video: 'Quebec’s move to keeps status quo on immigration levels making waves'
Quebec’s move to keeps status quo on immigration levels making waves
Immigration Minister Christine Fréchette tabled a two-year immigration plan at the National Assembly Wednesday. It keeps immigration targets at a maximum of 50,000 people per year, despite calls from the business community to accept more. The province had been looking into the possibility of raising that target to 60,000 but says that's just isn't feasible. Global’s Franca Mignacca reports. – Nov 1, 2023

Quebec’s immigration minister says the number of asylum seekers entering the province is “abnormal.”

Christine Frechette told reporters Thursday hat the federal government needs to do more to distribute would-be refugees across the country.

She says that since the closure of Roxham Road — the irregular land border crossing between Quebec and New York state — there are now too many asylum seekers showing up at the province’s airports.

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Federal government statistics show that 17,080 people claimed asylum at Quebec airports between January and September of this year, more than double the second-highest province for airport claimants, Ontario.

Frechette says Quebec has welcomed more asylum seekers so far this year than all other provinces combined, which was also true in 2022.

The minister also says Ottawa is too “loose” with the way it gives travel visas, saying many migrants are taking advantage of that pathway to claim asylum in the country.

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