Prime Minister François Legault is stepping up pressure on his federal counterpart and demanding that all asylum seekers arriving in Canada via Roxham Road be redirected elsewhere in the country.
In a letter sent to Justin Trudeau on Sunday, Mr. Legault reiterates that Quebec’s reception capacity is now “largely exceeded”, which has “major” consequences for public services.
” It is essential […] that asylum seekers who enter irregularly be redirected from now on to other provinces, because Quebec has provided more than its share of efforts in recent years,” he wrote.
“I ask you to take, urgently and permanently, all the necessary measures to distribute the asylum seekers […] to other provinces, regardless of the applicant’s profile. »
Mr. Legault recalls that Quebec has a “long tradition” of welcoming refugees. “However, this influx cannot continue”, he pleads, adding that “it is becoming more and more difficult to [les] welcome with dignity”.
These people struggle to find adequate housing and are more likely to find themselves in a situation of homelessness. The community organizations that help them are at their wit’s end, added the premier.
Health and education services are also facing “increased unprecedented pressures”.
François Legault also deplores that the arrival in Montreal of “tens of thousands” of migrants, a “significant” proportion of whom do not speak French, “greatly complicates our task of francization”.
“Roxham Road will have to be closed one day”
“Roxham Road will have to be closed one day, whether we like it or not. This is not just one issue among others. We are talking here about respecting the territorial borders of Canada, ”he concluded in his missive.
Last year, a record number of 39,171 asylum seekers were intercepted at Roxham Road, an unofficial entry point located in Saint-Bernard-de-Lacolle, in Montérégie.
The Legault government is demanding that Ottawa assume the costs incurred and that it renegotiate with the government of American President Joe Biden, the agreement on safe third countries.
Last week, Mr. Legault invited Mr. Trudeau to correct the situation and tell irregular immigrants on Twitter not to cross into Canada anymore.
He was referring to a 2017 Twitter post from Mr. Trudeau, in which it was suggested that Canada was opening its arms wide to all those fleeing persecution, terror and war.
Last Tuesday, Mr. Legault also met with the United States Ambassador, David L. Cohen, to discuss Roxham Road.