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QUEBEC — Quebec has reached a breaking point in its ability to provide essential services — from education to social assistance — to thousands of asylum seekers arriving in the province, and Ottawa needs to act to take control over the borders, the Legault government said Tuesday.

“People need to be aware of the magnitude of the situation,” Canadian Relations Minister Jean-François Roberge, flanked by three other ministers, told reporters at a news conference where the Legault government upped the pressure on Ottawa to act. “We need the federal government to assume its responsibilities.”

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Together they outlined the consequences of the unfettered growth in the number of asylum seekers arriving in Quebec and the effect on demands in services. They said Quebec has had to provide the equivalent of $1 billion in services over the last three years to manage the influx.

Ottawa, they said, is dragging its feet on refunding Quebec the costs. Quebec previously was asking Ottawa for $470 million in costs. If you add the costs of 2023 alone ($576.9 million), the new bill is $1 billion.

“We are calling on the federal government to rapidly respond to our demands,” said Immigration Minister Christine Fréchette. “This cannot go on. We are asking the federal government to act urgently, and we don’t sense this now. I would qualify the federal government’s attitude in the last year as passive.”

“There is enormous pressure being exerted on the system,” added Social Solidarity Minister Chantal Rouleau, noting the number of asylum seekers on basic social assistance has grown by 44 per cent from 32,016 to 46,357.

That represents 29 per cent of the total in Quebec drawing the benefits, Rouleau said.

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Education Minister Bernard Drainville said he does not want to see it happen, but if Ottawa “does not assume its responsibilities,” Quebec might not be able to provide sufficient services to Quebec citizens.

“I cannot imagine them not waking up,” Drainville said. “It’s as if they live on another planet. We don’t want to hit the breaking point. We don’t want to hit the wall. The Trudeau government has to act.”

A longstanding Legault government beef with Ottawa, the ministers repeated the data. As of Dec. 31, 2023, Quebec welcomed 55 per cent of all asylum seekers entering Canada. Quebec has taken in 160,651 asylum seekers out of a total for Canada of 289,047.

Fréchette, however, said the solution is not that complicated. By better managing the borders, the federal government could distribute asylum seekers in other provinces, as has happened in the past.

pauthier@postmedia.com

twitter.com/philipauthier

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