The death of an asylum claimant at an encampment outside of a shelter in Mississauga has prompted municipal leaders to call on the federal government for support.
Peel Regional Police said officers responded to reports of a sudden death at an encampment on Dundas Street East, just east of Dixie Road, on Wednesday morning.
Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown also confirmed the death and said a man who is an asylum claimant was sleeping outside of the shelter.
Meanwhile, police said a man in his 40s was found inside of the tent without vital signs and was pronounced dead.
Police also told Global News the death may have been related to carbon monoxide due to “dangerous heating of a tent.”
The coroner went to the location and deemed the death not suspicious, police said. A post-mortem is being conducted to determine the exact cause of death.
The man’s identity has not yet been released but police said there is next of kin who lives in the Greater Toronto Area.
Images from outside of the shelter show people waiting outside with their suitcases and belongings. Shortly after noon, people were seen getting onto a bus but it is unclear where they were taken to.
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There have been calls across the GTA for more support for asylum seekers. Last month, in Toronto, more than 100 refugees were stranded outside of a shelter waiting for housing.
During a press conference on Thursday, Mayor Brown described the shelter situation in the region as a “crisis”.
“Our shelter capacity is at 321 per cent. We have capacity for 500 and we’re almost at 1,500,” said Brown.
Brown said since July, asylum claimants have put “unique pressure” on the region’s capacity to help those facing adversity.
He said on average there’s between 46 to 150 asylum claimants sleeping outside every night.
“It is beyond comprehension that we allow this to happen. When I got the news of the fatality yesterday, my heart broke.”
With colder temperatures expected this weekend, Brown said there needs to be an “immediate solution.”
“We’re calling on our partners in other levels of government, particularly the federal government, to help.”
Brown said there is currently a proposal before the federal government that would help “mitigate this pending humanitarian disaster.”
“I hope that we get that help as quickly as possible,” Brown said.
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