Asylum seekers: “criminal” delays, ex-Liberal minister says

François Legault and Philippe Couillard, the same fight?

We remember that he had already accused the other of “fanning the volcano of intolerance.” The truth is that in 2018, on the issue of asylum seekers, he spoke practically the same language as his CAQ successor.

Four ministers

April 2018: Things get worse on Roxham Road. The number of asylum seekers (AD) entering the Dominion irregularly is at a record high. 91% of traffic through Quebec. Like today, Quebec is paying more to the treasury and Ottawa is turning a deaf ear.

Four ministers from the Couillard government hold a major press conference to deliver an ultimatum to the federal government. Resources are “full”. “Carrying capacity” has reached its limit.

The portfolios represented are practically the same as in the recent CAQ press conference.

At that time it was:

• David Heurtel, Immigration. Last Tuesday, C. Fréchette.

• Jean-Marc Fournier, Canadian Relations. Last Tuesday, J.-F. Roberge.

• Sébastien Proulx, Education. Last Tuesday, B. Trainville.

• Lucie Charlebois, Minister of Health.

Six years ago, the figures were much lower (25,510 DA in Quebec in 2017, compared to 65,330 in 2023), but the vocabulary and findings are also dramatic.

In 2018, as in 2023, Quebec will increase spending on “last aid, shelter, health care, education, legal aid,” the ministers insist.

Huge expenses

The 2017 bill is estimated at $146 million. Last week, for the years 2021 to 2023, “the federal government will have to repay Quebec a total of more than 1 billion,” Minister Frechette said.

In 2018, PM Couillard said in the chamber that the situation was dangerous in the school sector. He talks about the 2,500 more students compared to 2018: “It's like five more schools!”

In 2023? Minister Trainville last week spoke of the equivalent of “52 primary schools dedicated to welcome and suffrage”.

“Criminal” term

In 2018, Liberal ministers emphasized that Quebec received more than its DA share due to geography, but also the attractiveness of a basket of services unmatched by Canada. This is still true in 2023.

David Huertel, in an interview with My Microphone on QUB on Thursday, said he understood the Legault government's claims. Except for one aspect: “I don't believe it will endanger the nation.”

According to him, the heart of the problem is the “total indifference” of the Trudeau government, which has done nothing to reduce DA processing times. The standard was to hear cases within 60 days. In 2018, as in 2023, it will be five years! A waiting period, ADs will inevitably take hold.

“Without these delays, our services wouldn't be under all these pressures!” As the interview ends, the legal practitioner adds a qualification: The Trudeau government's inaction in the face of this is “criminal”!