Irshadgul News report,
Halifax –
The immigration ministers of New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and Labrador have committed to accepting asylum seekers who enter Canada outside official ports of entry, primarily through the Roxham Road crossing in Quebec.
After a meeting with provincial and territorial ministers in Halifax, federal Immigration Minister Sean Fraser said Friday he could not confirm how many asylum seekers the Atlantic provinces could take.
Fraser, MP for the Nova Scotia riding of Central Nova, told reporters a limit was not discussed because the area regularly exceeds its expectations for receiving newcomers.
Nova Scotia Immigration Minister Jill Balser said the province has taken in 134 asylum seekers from Quebec so far, and New Brunswick Immigration Minister Arlene Dunn said the province has taken in 57.
Newfoundland and Labrador’s Immigration Minister Gerry Byrne said the province would be ready to accept some asylum seekers in the next few days.
The transfer of asylum seekers to Atlantic Canada comes as the Quebec government says it can no longer handle the influx of migrants entering Canada through unregulated crossings along its border with New York state.
The federal government has reported that more than 39,000 people claimed asylum in Quebec in 2022 after entering Canada outside official ports of entry, mainly through the Roxham road crossing.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published on March 10, 2023.
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This story was produced with financial support from a META Fellowship and The Canadian Press for News.