Canada: Quebec warns of 'humanitarian crisis' amid surge in asylum requests
In the space of a year, asylum applications in Canada have jumped 56 percent. In an official letter to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Quebec Premier François Legault claims that "the situation [in Quebec] has become unsustainable", with the province saying it receives 55 percent of the country's asylum seekers. With public services at breaking point, the provincial government is asking Ottawa for more than a billion dollars and full powers over immigration, saying Quebec is on the brink of a "humanitarian crisis". Meanwhile on the ground, reception and accommodation conditions for tens of thousands of asylum seekers are deteriorating. Our correspondents report.
In the space of a year, asylum applications in Canada have jumped 56 percent. In an official letter to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Quebec Premier François Legault claims that "the situation [in Quebec] has become unsustainable", with the province saying it receives 55 percent of the country's asylum seekers. With public services at breaking point, the provincial government is asking Ottawa for more than a billion dollars and full powers over immigration, saying Quebec is on the brink of a "humanitarian crisis". Meanwhile on the ground, reception and accommodation conditions for tens of thousands of asylum seekers are deteriorating. Our correspondents report.
