Roxham Road asylum seekers are beginning to arrive in the Atlantic provinces as part of efforts to alleviate some of the burdens on Quebec.
That province took in more than 39,000 asylum seekers last year but is now calling on other regions to step up amid the surge in migrants using the uncontrolled border crossing.
Labour, Skills, and Immigration Minister Jill Balser says Nova Scotia saw a jump in numbers over the weekend.
“On Friday, the province had 15 asylum seekers,” she says. “But that number has changed just over the weekend. The total that we have seen at this point in time is actually 63.”
She says it’s hard to predict how that number will shift, explaining the program is flexible and the details are still being worked out with the federal government.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced late last week that Ottawa would help the Atlantic provinces that welcome migrants who have entered Canada through illegal ports of entry, including Roxham Road which sits between New York and Quebec.
“We do know that it may come in the form of financial support to provinces to help settle asylum-seekers well,” Balser explains of the plan.
She says Nova Scotia is helping to alleviate pressure on Quebec, which says it has reached its limit.
“Quebec has been doing everything that they possibly can, given the circumstances, this is where the entire Atlantic region has said we will help,” she says. “We want to be thoughtful in our approach to doing so, working very closely with the federal government around how many individuals do come.”
She acknowledges there are some challenges in the province that need to be considered when welcoming new people.
“There are pressures within housing and health care and access to services, but we also know that people are part of the solution,” Balser says.
“The fact that we are welcoming asylum seekers who are looking for a new life, they are going to be a part of the solution. We know that they come with a variety of skill sets. So who knows, they might actually start working in our health care, they might be building the housing stock that’s needed or starting new businesses.”
Those who land in Nova Scotia will have many supports available including connections to employment and schools and instruction for learning a new language.
According to Balser, there are some differences between requests for refugee status versus asylum.
“One sort of technical difference is that we do have an agreement in terms of our landings with refugees that the federal government can set for us,” she explains. “With asylum seekers, we do have to be a bit nimble and flexible because we don’t know what that actual number is at this point in time and it’s not necessarily designated by the federal government either.”
New Brunswick is also welcoming migrants to the region to help ease the burden on Quebec. In a statement, the province’s minister responsible for immigration says several arrived by bus on Sunday night.
“Last evening, New Brunswick welcomed 18 asylum claimants who arrived in Fredericton from Quebec,” Arlene Dunn says. “These claimants arrived by bus, through the process set in place by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).”
She says they’ll continue to help when called upon.
Under the Canada-United States Safe Third-Country Agreement, those seeking asylum must make a refugee claim in the first safe country they reach, but there’s a loophole – they can claim asylum on Canadian soil through an irregular crossing.
Opposition Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre recently called on the Prime Minister to shut the crossing down within 30 days.
The federal government says talks are underway with the U.S. around modernizing the Safe Third Country agreement.