A group of asylum seekers in Toronto has been forced to sleep on the sidewalk outside a shelter intake office for several days, enduring extreme heat and rainfall.
An emergency meeting is scheduled on Friday involving city staff, provincial officials, and federal representatives to address the ongoing refugee crisis and find a way forward. The city’s shelters are already full, with about one-third of residents being refugees. The refugees, mainly from African countries, have been using garbage bags to protect their belongings.
The city claims it needs more funding from the federal government to accommodate the increasing number of asylum seekers. The federal government has promised $97 million but has not delivered, and the newly installed Toronto Mayor, Olivia Chow, is calling for an additional $160 million.
Some organizations advocating for refugees are holding a news conference to demand urgent action from all levels of government. The meeting between city, provincial, and federal officials is confirmed, but the exact timing is unknown.
Is it as simple as the federal government handing money to municipal governments, or does this money get “filtered” through the provincal government and the ministries?
It’s a good question! After all, we have seen occasions where the federal government handed money to provincial governments, and they refused to actually spend it on the intended sector.
@nimnim Trudeau’s plan isn’t working.
