Quebec demands federal quota system to relocate asylum seekers to other provinces

Quebec is calling on Ottawa to introduce a nationwide quota system to evenly distribute asylum seekers across Canada. 

In a letter sent to federal Immigration Minister Marc Miller on July 22, Quebec Immigration Minister Christine Fréchette recommended that Ottawa set quotas for provinces to receive asylum seekers based on their demographic weight, their capacity to house newcomers as well as their "historic effort" to welcome them.    

The story was first reported by the Journal de Québec.

Fréchette met Thursday with Miller as part of a regular committee meeting to discuss redistribution options, confirmed Miller's director of communications Aissa Diop.

The immigration ministers of Ontario, Prince Edward Island, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and British Columbia also attended, she said.

In July, at the Council of the Federation in Halifax, the provinces called for a "fair distribution" of asylum seekers and demanded that Ottawa consider each province and territories' resources to support them.

Quebec Premier François Legault has often referred to the influx of asylum seekers in the province as a "national emergency," saying Quebec no longer has the means to integrate more non-permanent residents. 

The day Ottawa pledged $750 million to assist Quebec in supporting newcomers, Legault attributed "100 per cent of the housing problem" in the province to the increase in non-permanent residents.  

As of June 19, Quebec reported 597,140 non-permanent residents living in the province. Of that sum, 189,962 were asylum seekers — an amount that represents a little more than half of the total number of asylum seekers in Canada (363,312), according to Quebec's Immigration Ministry.  

However, Ottawa contests those numbers. 

Diop would not comment directly on Quebec's requests in the letter but said a redistribution model for asylum seekers would have incentives for those who support it and disincentives for those who don't. She would not provide details on Ottawa's intentions.

"We're not going to send a message to provinces and territories through the media," she said. "We need to figure out how to best amalgamate all of their asks and come to a general proposal that would suit everyone." 

She noted the federal government recognizes Quebec and Ontario are bearing the brunt of the increase in asylum seekers. 

Limiting work permits provincially

In an effort to ensure asylum seekers go to their assigned location, Fréchette is urging the federal government to restrict their work permits by province. 

The restriction would apply until the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada renders a decision on the refugee claim. 

The letter also asks Ottawa to relocate asylum seekers to provinces and territories based on factors including their language skills and whether they have relatives living in a given province. 

"This system would make it possible to welcome asylum seekers with dignity and ensure that they can contribute to the economic vitality of all regions of Canada," the letter said.  

Creating a countrywide network would alleviate the pressure experienced by Quebec and Ontario — provinces that received a large number of asylum seekers — and prevent non-permanent residents from "systematically heading toward the metropolitan regions of Montreal and Toronto," the minister argues. 

If an asylum seeker were to settle in a different area than the one the federal government assigned, the person would have to assume all accommodation costs upon their arrival, the letter says. 

To incentivize provinces to follow the system, Quebec suggests that Ottawa create a new federal transfer tied to an information-sharing system that would help offset some of the costs of services for asylum seekers. 

The letter also emphasizes Quebec's repeated demand for Ottawa to tighten visa requirements.  

It says 17,490 asylum claims were filed in the province between Jan. 1 and March 31. Nearly half of them (8,070) were filed by claimants who entered Canada with a visitor visa  

Most people seeking asylum in Quebec are from India and Bangladesh, according to the province.