HALIFAX -- Immigration ministers from New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and Labrador have committed to accepting asylum seekers who entered Canada outside of official ports of entry, primarily through the Roxham Road crossing in Quebec.
Following a meeting with provincial and territorial ministers in Halifax, federal Immigration Minister Sean Fraser said Friday he could not confirm how many asylum seekers the Atlantic provinces could take in.
Fraser, the MP for the Nova Scotia riding of Central Nova, told reporters that a cap had not been discussed because the region regularly exceeds its expectations for receiving newcomers.
Nova Scotia Immigration Minister Jill Balser said the province has so far taken in 134 asylum seekers from Quebec, and New Brunswick Immigration Minister Arlene Dunn noted the province has taken in 57.
Newfoundland and Labrador Immigration Minister Gerry Byrne said the province would be ready to accept some asylum seekers in the next few days.
The transfer of asylum seekers to Atlantic Canada comes as the Quebec government maintains that it can no longer handle the influx of migrants entering Canada through an irregular crossing along its border with New York State.
The federal government has reported that more than 39,000 people claimed asylum in Quebec in 2022 after entering Canada outside the official ports of entry, mainly through the Roxham Road crossing.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 10, 2023.
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This story was produced with the financial assistance of the Meta Fellowships and The Canadian Press for news.
