Asylum seeker advocates tired of Quebec rhetoric aimed at refugees
For months, Premier Francois Legault has said Quebec has too many people crossing the border and has demanded that the federal government step in to send them to other provinces.
Legault's recent comments on the subject are sparking anger from organizations, which say that he's not treating asylum seekers with humanity.
The Refugee Centre in downtown Montreal is one such organization that supports refugees and asylum seekers.
Every day, hundreds of people walk through the centre's doors looking for legal, employment and educational services.
"We have different care packages that we give to families; stuff like diapers," said executive director Abdulla Daoud.
Daoud said Legault's latest barrage of comments about asylum seekers targets the vulnerable population he serves.
"It's getting tiresome to see them used as a punching bag continuously year after year after year," he said.
The recent comments came during Legault's trip to Paris, where he said that Canada should take inspiration from France and set up waiting zones, a holding centre for asylum seekers until a decision is made.
He later declared that 80,000 migrants should be forced to move.
Quebec's line is that the high number is taxing on housing and social services.
"He was speaking as [if] he was speaking about bottles or I don't know, oranges that you can move from one place to another," said Maison D'Haiti executive director Marjorie Villefranche. "And like, he was not speaking about human beings."
Upon Legault's return to Quebec, a report revealed that the government studied a wide range of ways to move asylum seekers out of the province, including paying for bus tickets and cutting welfare payments.
The premier did not deny that these options were considered but ruled them out.
Legault said Quebec is home to 45 per cent of asylum seekers in Canada despite accounting for just 22 per cent of the population.
Daoud argues that Quebec is better suited to welcome them as it's the only province with a reception centre for refugee claimants.
"People are going to come and seek safety," he said. "We built a society to allow for that to happen and I think we should be proud of that."
Advocates say refugees won't stop arriving, so it's Quebec's responsibility to find a humane and dignified way to welcome them.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Auto theft probe leads to arrest of 59 suspects, recovery of more than 300 stolen vehicles: Toronto police
Toronto police say 59 suspects are facing a total of 300 charges in connection with an auto theft and re-vinning probe.
WATCH 'It's mind-boggling': Drought reveals U.S. town submerged in the 1940s
Hundreds of people are flocking to see a rare site in Pennsylvania: remnants of a historic town that is usually underwater.
Ont. woman posed as registered nurse in Simcoe County for 4 years: OPP
An Ontario woman is facing serious charges after police allege she pretended to be a registered nurse at several Simcoe County facilities, despite being unqualified.
B.C. mayor's 'luxury' trip to Dubai climate conference was against ethics rules: commissioner
New Westminster Mayor Patrick Johnstone's all-expenses-paid trip to Dubai for a climate conference last December violated the city's Code of Conduct for Council Members and the Community Charter, the city's ethics commissioner has ruled.
Caught on camera: Edmonton police run over woman during welfare call
An Edmonton Police Service officer was caught on camera running over a woman with a marked cruiser last month.
Bradley Barton's sentence upheld by appeals court in 2011 death of Cindy Gladue
An appeal has been denied to extend the sentence of an Ontario trucker who killed a woman in his Edmonton hotel room in 2011.
Secret Service report offers new details on failures during Trump assassination attempt
A new Secret Service report into the July assassination attempt against former U.S. president Donald Trump said multiple staffers knew about clear line-of-sight risks but found them 'acceptable' and that farm equipment intended to obstruct the view from the nearby building where the gunman opened fire was never used.
Meet Decoy Ohtani, perhaps the most valuable pet of the World Series
The Dodgers' most valuable pet: Decoy Ohtani, dog of Shohei, has become a fixture of Dodgers — and dog — fandom.
B.C. landlord who evicted longtime tenant, hiked rent and re-listed unit ordered to pay $16K
A landlord from B.C.’s Lower Mainland who evicted a longtime tenant only to rent out the same unit months later for more money has been ordered to compensate him $16,480.