This House of Commons committee meeting on Citizenship and Immigration studied the interprovincial distribution of asylum seekers. Appearing as witnesses were Michael Barutciski, a professor at York University; Anita Stellinga, CEO of COSTI Immigrant Services; Steve Jacques, Commissioner of Human Services for the Region of Peel; Pierre Fortin, a professor at Université du Québec à Montréal; Héléna Roulet and Olive Mukamana from Carrefour le Moutier; and David Clinton, publisher of TheAudit.ca.
Michael Barutciski argued that a senior immigration official was mistaken in claiming the Canadian Charter guarantees asylum seekers the right to live anywhere, as section 6 applies only to citizens and permanent residents. He recommended a mandatory, standard distribution system for all asylum seekers, using a formula like Germany's that considers tax revenues and population, and noted that human rights advocates' insistence on consent had caused problems in past crises.
Anita Stellinga urged caution against models that assign asylum seekers by fixed quotas, arguing that equity requires informed choices and reliable access to supports. She recommended a multi-year intergovernmental national asylum and housing strategy with coordinated funding, shared data, and a focus on measurable outcomes like time to housing and employment, rather than restricting movement.
Steve Jacques described how Peel Region's shelter system was overwhelmed by a surge in asylum claimants, operating at nearly 400% capacity, and has committed over $13 million from local tax reserves. He recommended recognizing asylum support as a national function with stable funding, integrating housing benefits into the national strategy, and creating a balanced hub-and-spoke distribution system, while investing in gateway communities like Peel.
Pierre Fortin stated that Ontario and Quebec bear a disproportionate load of asylum seekers, with 85% of the over half a million in Canada, and that this strains housing and public finances. He recommended immediately rejecting undeserving claims, minimizing administrative delays, simplifying hearings, ensuring rejected candidates leave, and making other provinces more attractive, while also urging Quebec be given full control over the international mobility program.
Héléna Roulet and Olive Mukamana reported supporting over 1,105 asylum seekers in the past year, facing barriers in housing, legal services, and health care due to discrimination and lack of awareness. They recommended a distribution strategy that respects fundamental rights, ensures access to legal services, involves community organizations, and provides stable funding tailored to frontline realities, advocating for a prevention and coordination approach.
David Clinton presented data showing asylum seeker populations growing faster in New Brunswick, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba, and that 80% of refugees stay in their province of admission. He noted the IRB backlog of 500,000 people is unsustainable and suggested triaging through faster credential recognition and integrating AI models with human review to flag obvious decisions, while acknowledging that pressures on the IRB may lead to due process risks.
The committee briefly debated extending the meeting but agreed to continue for a limited time, with no motions or procedural votes recorded beyond routine agreements on interpretation and scheduling.
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