The immigration ministers of New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and Labrador have pledged to welcome refugee claimants who have entered Canada outside of official ports of entry, primarily by crossing Roxham Road in Quebec.
Following a meeting with provincial and territorial ministers in Halifax, federal Immigration Minister Sean Fraser said on Friday he was unable to put a figure on the number of asylum seekers that the Atlantic provinces could accommodate.
Fraser, who is the MP for the Nova Scotia riding of Central Nova, told reporters there was no mention of a cap as the region routinely exceeds its expectations when it comes to hosting new arrivals.
Nova Scotia Immigration Minister Jill Balser said the province has so far accepted 134 asylum seekers who have arrived in Quebec, and New Brunswick Immigration Minister Arlene Dunn said the province had taken in 57.
Newfoundland and Labrador Immigration Minister Gerry Byrne did not say whether the province has already accepted some of these asylum seekers, but he said it was ready to accept some in the next days.
Fraser said the federal government is working with provinces to have newcomers complete skills questionnaires upon arrival “to signal the talents they have to contribute to the local economy.”
The 57 refugee claimants who have been sent to New Brunswick have already completed skills questionnaires, Fraser said.
Prince Edward Island, which is wrapping up the first week of its provincial election campaign, was not represented at the meeting.
The transfer of asylum seekers to Atlantic provinces comes as the Quebec government has said for months that it can no longer handle the influx of migrants entering Canada through an irregular border crossing at its border with the New York State.
The federal government reported that more than 39,000 people claimed asylum in Quebec in 2022 after entering Canada outside of official ports of entry, primarily through the Roxham Road crossing.