Ministry of Children, Ministère des Services à

Community and Social l’enfance et des Services

Services sociaux et communautaires

Minister’s Office Bureau du Ministre

Hepburn Block, 6th Floor Édifice Hepburn, 6e étage

80 Grosvenor Street 80, rue Grosvenor
Toronto ON M7A 1E9 Toronto (Ontario) M7A 1E9
Tel.: (416) 325-5225 Tél. : 416 325-5225
Fax: (416) 325-3347 Téléc. : 416 325-3347

July 26, 2018

Jean-Yves Duclos
House of Commons
Ottawa, ON
K1A 0A6

The Honourable Jean-Yves Duclos, P.C., M.P.

Minister of Families, Children and Social Development
House of Commons, Ottawa, ON K1A 0A6

Dear Minister:

I am writing today in follow-up to the meeting of the Council of the Federation in New
Brunswick, held earlier this month, at which all Premiers agreed that costs associated with
support for border crossers be fully covered by the Federal Government.

I also want to highlight this week’s meeting of the Standing Committee on “The Impact of
Irregular Border Crossers” this meeting was a first step toward understanding what has
happened to Canada’s immigration system over the last couple of years, in particular when
it comes to refugees.

As the Minister of Children, Community and Social Services with responsibility for
immigration policy for the Government of Ontario, I want to express my concern over the
Federal Government’s approach to the issue of illegal border crossing.

Ontario is a welcoming province and the citizens of Ontario generously support immigrants
and refugees. We invest in supports and integration services to ensure immigrants and
refugees have the best possible opportunity to be successful in Ontario.

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For more than a year, communities across Ontario have been straining to support a high
number of the illegal border crossers; and the approach of the Federal Government is now
testing the patience and generosity of Ontarians.

Ontario can only do so much. Since January 2016, we have received over 36,000 refugee
claimants. In addition, over 5,500 refugee claimants who made their claim in Quebec have
reported moving to Ontario since January 2017.

In the City of Toronto, about 45 percent of shelter occupants are refugees. The Government
of Ontario has stepped up to help facilitate the use of approximately 800 spaces in college
and university residences for shelter space during the summer. In addition, up to $3 million
has been identified for the City of Toronto to support services in the college residential
spaces being used as shelters.

Our government estimates the cost to Ontario so far to support the crossers to be $200
million. Federal support to date has been inadequate to meet the current and future needs
posed by this crisis.

The Government of Ontario believes that managing the influx of illegal border crossers is
the federal government’s responsibility. The Federal Government must also fund the
services required to support them in full.

For clarity Ontario is able to detail $200 million in costs incurred that directly relate to
crossers. These costs relate to temporary housing ($74 million, by years end, for the city of
Toronto, $3 million identified for the Red Cross to support their services in temporary
shelters and $12 million for the City of Ottawa); income support ($90 million in social
assistance costs); primary and secondary education spaces ($20 million). In addition, there
is significant pressure on our legal aid system as claimants require support to engage with
Immigration and Refugee Board process.

Please consider this letter a formal request for direct and full compensation for the costs
associated with the lengthy support Ontario and its municipalities are supplying to illegal
border crossers.

In demonstration of the widespread support for this position the Ontario Legislature will
consider a motion today:
“That, in the opinion of this house, the Federal Government should
immediately pay its $200 million dollar share of the funding related
to the costs of illegal border crossers.”

This crisis situation is aggravated by the lengthy delays in the Federal Government’s
refugee determination system. Hearings that should be completed within 60 days are now
taking approximately 20 months to be held.

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It is in everyone’s interest to have refugee claims processed quickly and efficiently. The
Federal Government must regain control of the processing timetable so that failed claimants
leave more quickly, and those accepted as refugees are able to move ahead and integrate
into Ontario society.

The Federal Government must also address border control and policy issues. The
appointment of your colleague Bill Blair as Minister of Border Security and Organized Crime
Reduction is a positive step in the right direction and an acknowledgement of the urgent
need to better manage border crossings.

Ontarians are pro-immigration. But the situation at the Quebec-New York border is testing
their patience and notions of fair play, and undermining the reputation and integrity of the
entire system. I urge the Federal Government to take responsibility for its choices and act
now to return integrity to our immigration system.

Sincerely,

Original Signed By:

Lisa MacLeod
Minister

c: The Honourable Ahmed Hussen, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship

The Honourable Bill Blair, Minister of Border Security and Organized Crime
Reduction
Queen’s Park Press Gallery

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