The federal government is extending $100 million to help Quebec temporarily house refugees, a sum far from the $470 million requested by the Legault government, but which nevertheless represents a “step in the right direction”.
“What is interesting is that there is still a recognition of the very important role that Quebec has had in terms of welcoming asylum seekers,” declared the Quebec Minister of Foreign Affairs on LCN. Immigration Christine Fréchette.
She also welcomed the statements of her federal counterpart Marc Miller who, a few moments earlier on the other hill, revealed that other measures were to be expected.
According to Mme Fréchette, the next announcements should come from the Minister of Finance Chrystia Freeland and will be linked to other aspects of the reception of refugees such as health, education or last resort aid, preferably “well before the budget”.
The total amount announced Wednesday by Ottawa amounts to $362 million and will be paid to the Temporary Housing Assistance Program (PALP), a program that is intended to be “interim,” according to Minister Miller.
- Listen to the segment Learn everything in 24 minutes with Alexandre Moranville and Mario Dumont via QUB:
Other requested services
In a letter addressed to Justin Trudeau’s government in January, Prime Minister François Legault called, beyond money, for help in distributing asylum seekers across the provinces in a more proportional manner as well as for revision of visa management.
This is something that is already being done, said Marc Miller at a press conference, and on which Christine Fréchette further insisted.
“The flow is such towards Quebec and Ontario, among others, that it is not perfect. So there is an additional effort to be made,” said Mr. Miller.
“It is also the reality that we cannot treat asylum seekers like cattle, put them anywhere,” said the minister, stressing that the choice of refugee destination often came down to Toronto and Montreal, where many already have a community there.
To the $100 million announced Wednesday is added an additional envelope of $50 million under another payment of $212 million to the PALP announced last summer by Ottawa. In total, there is $150 million to temporarily house the refugees.
Christine Fréchette believes that the insistent pressure from her ministry and the government is not unrelated to the results obtained on Wednesday.
Far from being as satisfied, Bloc Québécois leader Yves-François Blanchet declared that the federal government “behaves like a deadbeat, unreliable and untrustworthy.”