City committee hoping for more support and funding to assist asylum seekers
By Rob Hindi
Windsor's Community Services Standing Committee is moving forward with a push to get additional funding and supports to assist asylum seekers coming to the city.
The committee met Wednesday morning and moved administration's recommendations but also asked for a legal aid refugee office be established in Windsor.
The report asked the committee to submit a letter to Immigration, Refugees, Citizenship Canada (IRCC) stating that the City of Windsor does not have the capacity or resources to support additional asylum claimants beyond those estimated to be transferred to Windsor based on the current number of secured temporary accommodations.
The report also asked the city to send a letter to the appropriate senior levels of government, such as the Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development, to have them identify and resource a local lead settlement agency to coordinate a response in Windsor and Essex County.
Ward 6 councillor Jo-Anne Gignac sits on the committee and says administration has been ahead of the game but the numbers are overwhelming.
"To expect that our administration or legal aid can deal with these numbers is unrealistic," says Gignac.
She says it's surprising the city has been 'kind of' ignored with receiving additional supports.
"Hopefully we're going to see some movement," she says. "We're going to see that additional funding come so the case loads are not overwhelming here and we can still process the people in our community through Ontario works without impacting them, the needs that they have."
AM800 file photo
Ward 2 councillor Fabio Costante also sits on the committee and says he fully supports the motion and supports moving forward to request funding and support from the upper levels of government.
"I did have a call with MP Kusmierczyk yesterday about this issue, the federal government is certainly working on this but we have to continue that communication and we have to continue advocating for that support," says Costante.
As AM800 news reported last week, the federal government has been dealing with an influx in asylum claimants, the majority intercepted at the Quebec and New York border, specifically at the irregular crossing at Roxham Road.
As a result of the strain on the social support system in Quebec, the government has been transferring asylum claimants to municipalities across Ontario, including over 600 to Windsor, and placing them in temporary hotel accommodations.
The report now goes before city council for final approval.