Quebec Calls out Ottawa for ‘Inaction’ on Asylum Seekers, Demands $1B Compensation

Three provincial ministers held a news conference on Feb. 20 demanding that the federal government stop the arrival of would-be refugees in Quebec, and transfer those already in the province more equally across the country. They say Quebec, which has less than a quarter of the Canadian population, receives 55 percent of all asylum seekers. The ministers are also calling on Ottawa to fully reimburse the province for what they say is $1 billion spent in the past three years settling refugee claimants. The Feb. 20 news conference follows a series of public complaints by Quebec on the refugee issue, with the ministers saying the $150 million pledged so far by Ottawa to help the province house asylum seekers is not nearly enough....