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National Post
3 hours ago
- Politics
- National Post
Ottawa ends funding for asylum seekers' hotel rooms after seven years, $1.2 billion
The federal government is on the verge of phasing out a program that sees asylum seekers stay in hotels on Ottawa's dime. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has said that funding will end in September. Article content According to IRCC, the government is currently housing close to 500 asylum seekers in five hotels in Ontario and Quebec, far fewer than the 2023 peak at hotels across Canada. It has spent more than $1.2 billion on temporary hotel housing since 2020. Article content Article content Article content 'IRCC-funded hotels were always a temporary measure to support local shelter systems as the use of hotels is not a sustainable, cost-effective solution,' a spokesperson from the department told National Post in an email. Article content Article content 'IRCC will continue supporting provinces and municipalities in developing their own long-term housing strategies. This shift will reduce costs to Canadians and improve outcomes for claimants. Article content The hotel plan began in 2018 with a pledge of $50 million to help provinces and municipalities deal with housing for asylum seekers. That included $11 million for the City of Toronto. Article content 'We have a clear plan for managing asylum seeker pressures and continue to act to support our partners,' Ahmed Hussen, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, said at the time. 'Our largest cities have shown tremendous leadership in their response to the recent influx of asylum seekers. Toronto and Montreal, as major population centres, face the greatest challenges when it comes to housing asylum claimants, and we will continue to work with them to come up with long-term, workable solutions to those challenges.' Article content Costs have skyrocketed since then. Government figures show that, in 2018-19, funding for the Interim Housing Assistance Program, or IHAP, amounted to $29 million for Ontario and Manitoba. The following year the program expanded to include Quebec and British Columbia, and the price tag was $342 million. Costs fell a little in future years, but in 2024-25, payments pending total $300 million. Article content Article content Asylum claims have also increased over the span of the program. In 2019, government figures show there were 64,000 asylum claims in Canada. That fell during the early years of the pandemic but rose to 92,000 in 2022, 144,000 the following year, and 173,000 last year. Article content The government notes that, at its peak in late 2023, the federal hotel footprint included 46 sites from Vancouver to St. John's at an average cost of $205 per night. While stays were inherently temporary, it notes, there was no enforcement on length of stay. Article content IRCC says its new plan involves reception centres that will provide immediate short-term housing and other services to asylum seekers; relocation to other jurisdictions, including other provinces with more affordable housing and jobs; and a plan for housing independence, in which claimants transition into receiving communities and jobs. Article content 'Through early investments in IHAP, the federal government has already supported the opening of a reception centre in Peel and transitional housing options in Ottawa,' the spokesperson told National Post. 'Future IHAP investments will add more housing capacity for asylum claimants.' Article content IHAP is no longer accepting new applicants for its hotel program, and has been winding it down in anticipation of the September end date, the spokesperson said. Article content 'Since January 2024, IRCC has helped over 15,000 claimants transition to independent living, and it will continue to assist those currently on site with securing longer-term housing until September 30, 2025.' Article content The spokesperson added: 'As of July 2025, IRCC has rooms leased in one hotel in Quebec and four hotels in Ontario, with a total of 485 asylum claimants. IRCC remains committed to supporting claimants during this transition, working with service providers to assist with housing, employment, and essential services.' Article content Experts and advocates say that could be difficult in cities where demand is high. Article content 'What they need to do is actually put something in place to make sure refugees don't fall on their face,' said Nadine Miller, executive director of Pilgrim Feast Tabernacles Church, which took in dozens of refugees in Toronto two years ago as shelters overflowed. 'We've been picking up the pieces since 2023.' Article content Her suggestion: 'Get their paperwork processed faster. That's the biggest problem they're having. If you sit in a hotel for two, three, four months or even a year, and you don't have a work permit, what that does for you is you're no further than the day you came in.' Article content
Vancouver Sun
3 hours ago
- Politics
- Vancouver Sun
Ottawa ends funding for asylum seekers' hotel rooms after seven years, $1.2 billion
The federal government is on the verge of phasing out a program that sees asylum seekers stay in hotels on Ottawa's dime. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has said that funding will end in September. According to IRCC, the government is currently housing close to 500 asylum seekers in five hotels in Ontario and Quebec, far fewer than the 2023 peak at hotels across Canada. It has spent more than $1.2 billion on temporary hotel housing since 2020. 'IRCC-funded hotels were always a temporary measure to support local shelter systems as the use of hotels is not a sustainable, cost-effective solution,' a spokesperson from the department told National Post in an email. Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. 'IRCC will continue supporting provinces and municipalities in developing their own long-term housing strategies. This shift will reduce costs to Canadians and improve outcomes for claimants. The hotel plan began in 2018 with a pledge of $50 million to help provinces and municipalities deal with housing for asylum seekers. That included $11 million for the City of Toronto. 'We have a clear plan for managing asylum seeker pressures and continue to act to support our partners,' Ahmed Hussen, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, said at the time. 'Our largest cities have shown tremendous leadership in their response to the recent influx of asylum seekers. Toronto and Montreal, as major population centres, face the greatest challenges when it comes to housing asylum claimants, and we will continue to work with them to come up with long-term, workable solutions to those challenges.' Costs have skyrocketed since then. Government figures show that, in 2018-19, funding for the Interim Housing Assistance Program, or IHAP, amounted to $29 million for Ontario and Manitoba. The following year the program expanded to include Quebec and British Columbia, and the price tag was $342 million. Costs fell a little in future years, but in 2024-25, payments pending total $300 million. Asylum claims have also increased over the span of the program. In 2019, government figures show there were 64,000 asylum claims in Canada. That fell during the early years of the pandemic but rose to 92,000 in 2022, 144,000 the following year, and 173,000 last year. The government notes that, at its peak in late 2023, the federal hotel footprint included 46 sites from Vancouver to St. John's at an average cost of $205 per night. While stays were inherently temporary, it notes, there was no enforcement on length of stay. IRCC says its new plan involves reception centres that will provide immediate short-term housing and other services to asylum seekers; relocation to other jurisdictions, including other provinces with more affordable housing and jobs; and a plan for housing independence, in which claimants transition into receiving communities and jobs. 'Through early investments in IHAP, the federal government has already supported the opening of a reception centre in Peel and transitional housing options in Ottawa,' the spokesperson told National Post. 'Future IHAP investments will add more housing capacity for asylum claimants.' IHAP is no longer accepting new applicants for its hotel program, and has been winding it down in anticipation of the September end date, the spokesperson said. 'Since January 2024, IRCC has helped over 15,000 claimants transition to independent living, and it will continue to assist those currently on site with securing longer-term housing until September 30, 2025.' The spokesperson added: 'As of July 2025, IRCC has rooms leased in one hotel in Quebec and four hotels in Ontario, with a total of 485 asylum claimants. IRCC remains committed to supporting claimants during this transition, working with service providers to assist with housing, employment, and essential services.' Experts and advocates say that could be difficult in cities where demand is high. 'What they need to do is actually put something in place to make sure refugees don't fall on their face,' said Nadine Miller, executive director of Pilgrim Feast Tabernacles Church, which took in dozens of refugees in Toronto two years ago as shelters overflowed. 'We've been picking up the pieces since 2023.' Her suggestion: 'Get their paperwork processed faster. That's the biggest problem they're having. If you sit in a hotel for two, three, four months or even a year, and you don't have a work permit, what that does for you is you're no further than the day you came in.' — with files from Canadian Press Our website is the place for the latest breaking news, exclusive scoops, longreads and provocative commentary. Please bookmark and sign up for our daily newsletter, Posted, here .
Hamilton Spectator
a day ago
- Politics
- Hamilton Spectator
Doug Ford backs down on plan to issue work permits to asylum-seekers
Doug Ford is walking back a plan for Ontario to begin issuing work permits to asylum-seekers less than a week after he touted it at the annual premiers' conference , citing frustration at the cost of housing them and federal processing backlogs. The abrupt turnaround follows a flurry of questions about how Ontario and other provinces could legally bypass the federal asylum claims approval process — with even senior staff in Ford's office unsure of next steps. 'We aren't taking it over,' Ford acknowledged Monday. But the premier repeated his call for the federal government to speed up processing and urged a continuation of funding to support the cost of putting up asylum-seekers in hotels and other accommodations, as well as providing them health care and education. 'We're frustrated. The premiers are frustrated,' he said when asked to explain the about-face. It came five days after he pledged 'I'm not waiting any longer' to issue work permits because the accommodations and other supports are 'costing our province an absolute fortune.' He maintained there is overlap between federal and provincial powers over immigration under Section 95 of the Constitution that leaves room for the provinces to step in. Ford made those comments last Wednesday in his closing news conference as chair of the Council of the Federation, a group representing the premiers which held its annual meeting at a resort in Huntsville, Ont. Ford passes the role to Prince Edward Island Premier Rob Lantz on Friday. At the premiers' conference, the provinces stressed they need more control over immigration to their jurisdictions, in the same way Quebec enjoys. 'We need increased autonomy so that we as a province are able to bring in and support the kind of economic immigrants that are going to support certain sectors of and ensure people have a pathway to contribute,' said Labour Minister David Piccini, standing beside Ford on Monday outside his Queen's Park office. 'To give you all an example, right now, we don't know what happens when an asylum claimant is rejected,' he added. 'The federal government (is) processing fewer asylum claimants and are being made in the province of Ontario today.' Ford said Ontario would like to work more closely with the federal government to get a better handle on the system, claiming that some people in hotels in his riding of Etobicoke North have been waiting two years for work permits. But Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada says they are usually issued within 45 days .
Hamilton Spectator
a day ago
- Politics
- Hamilton Spectator
‘Starved, bombed, killed, displaced': Hamilton man pleads with feds to help his family leave Gaza
Rani Hemaid' s 12-year-old nephew fell twice last week, weak from malnutrition. Displaced from their home, the Palestinian Canadian's sister, brother-in-law and their five children live in a building in the north of Gaza in 'unimaginable' conditions and constant fear. 'Every day they wake up, they are just looking how to survive this day,' the Hamilton man said. Sometimes they wish for the quick death of a bomb over starvation, he said. It's been more than 18 months since the federal government announced special measures to help displaced Palestinians, including temporary resident permits for Gazans with relatives in Canada. Hemaid's family applied soon after, and consented to Canada enlisting another country's help to facilitate evacuation. Hamilton's Rani Hemaid speaking at a news conference on Parliament Hill on Dec. 4, 2023, urging the federal government to expand the eligibility of extended family members of Canadian citizens who can be evacuated from war-torn Gaza. But his family is still in Gaza, fighting for their lives, he said. 'It's just continuous, continuous bombing,' Hemaid said. 'No Canadian and no human being should be hanging waiting for a text message or news to know that their families are dead.' Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) said it's 'deeply concerned' about the situation in Gaza. Gazans applying for visas under the special measures must meet requirements, including security screening, which are conducted once people leave, spokesperson Jeffrey MacDonald said in an email. Rani Hemaid's family in Gaza. Screenings are conducted by external agencies and processing times vary, he said. 'Movement out of Gaza remains the biggest challenge affecting how quickly we can help Gazans reunite with their family in Canada,' MacDonald wrote. As of July 8, more than 1,750 people have passed security screenings and 864 have arrived in Canada. The government reached the 5,000-application cap on March 6, and have closed intake, he said. The IRCC says it can't comment on individual cases, citing privacy legislation. 'We continue working closely with local authorities — at every level — to advocate for the exit of people in Gaza, however we do not ultimately decide who can leave,' MacDonald wrote. At a mid-July protest in front of the Sir Isaac Brock federal building on Bay Street North, Hemaid stood in a crowd of about 35 people holding a photo of his sister's family and a message condemning the government's 'broken promise.' Rani Hemaid family on vacation. He is among those across the country asking Canada to expedite visas. Meanwhile, Hemaid's parents' one-year visa has expired, and they've since travelled to Cairo to see his sick grandfather. Their visa was single entry, so they can't return to Canada, he said. In war, time is of the essence. Food and medical supplies are scarce and hospitals have been bombed and burned . Hemaid said his youngest niece was treated for burns without anesthesia and, earlier in the war, his 11-year-old nephew's broken leg was stabilized with only a piece of wood and tape. He slipped and fell while out looking for wood to burn for cooking. When Hemaid spoke with his sister on Friday morning, they'd been five days without water to cook or wash. The World Health Organization (WHO) warned on Sunday of 'alarming' rates of malnutrition. Rani Hemaid with his daughter Alma, 3, and wife Cynthia Wang in 2021. Of the 74 malnutrition-related deaths this year, 63 were in July, the health agency said in a release. Twenty-five were children. 'Our families are being starved, bombed, killed, displaced with everything unimaginable happening to them,' Hemaid said. 'It's frustrating, it's upsetting, we are angry.' Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
Winnipeg Free Press
a day ago
- Politics
- Winnipeg Free Press
Doug Ford walks back pledge to issue work permits to asylum seekers
TORONTO – Ontario Premier Doug Ford has walked back last week's pledge to issue work permits to asylum seekers. Ford and the rest of the country's premiers said at their gathering last week they wanted more control over immigration, usually a purview of the federal government. The Ontario premier vowed to issue work permits to asylum seekers after he and Alberta Premier Danielle Smith believed they found a workaround in the Constitution. He says the federal government is taking too long to issue the permits, but Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada says work permits are usually issued within 45 days. Ford now says he does not want to take over work done by the federal government, but did not explain why he changed his mind. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada says it is working with the provinces and territories to plan out immigration levels from 2026 to 2028. —With files from Sarah Ritchie in Ottawa This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 28, 2025.
