Quebec Premier Fran莽ois Legault is asking Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to slow the influx of asylum seekers entering his province, which he said is nearing a sa国际传媒渂reaking point.sa国际传媒�

Legault made his request in an official letter to Trudeau sent Wednesday afternoon, a copy of which was obtained by The Canadian Press.

sa国际传媒淲e are very close to the breaking point due to the excessive number of asylum seekers arriving in Quebec month after month. The situation has become unsustainable,sa国际传媒� Legault wrote.

He said that in 2022, Quebec took in more asylum seekers than the rest of the country combined.

The closure of the unofficial Roxham Road crossing point south of Montreal in August 2023 sa国际传媒渕omentarilysa国际传媒� slowed the flow, Legault said. sa国际传媒淗owever, the arrivals have continued to increase at airports. The number of people arriving on a visitor visa and applying for asylum is also increasing significantly.sa国际传媒�

Nearly 60,000 new asylum seekers were registered in Quebec in the first 11 months of 2023, which has put sa国际传媒渧ery significant pressuresa国际传媒� on services, the premier writes.

sa国际传媒淎sylum seekers have trouble finding a place to live, which contributes to accentuating the housing crisis,sa国际传媒� the letter said. sa国际传媒淢any end up in homeless shelters, which are overflowing.sa国际传媒� He said organizations that help asylum seekers cansa国际传媒檛 keep up with demand. Legault said the children of asylum seekers are also straining schools that already have a shortage of teachers and space.

The premier reminded Trudeau that asylum seekers who are waiting for work permits receive financial assistance from Quebec. Last October, 43,200 asylum seekers received $33 million in aid.

Legault expressed particular concern over Mexican nationals, whom he said represent a growing proportion of the asylum seekers coming to the province.

sa国际传媒淭he possibility of entering Canada from Mexico without a visa certainly explains part of the influx of asylum seekers,sa国际传媒� he said.

sa国际传媒淭he airports, particularly in Toronto and Montreal, are becoming sieves and it is time to act,sa国际传媒� he added.

In Iqaluit on Thursday afternoon, Trudeau responded to Legaultsa国际传媒檚 letter, saying he agrees sa国际传媒渢he government of Quebec and Quebecers themselves have been extremely generoussa国际传媒� toward asylum seekers.

Trudeau said Intergovernmental Affairs Minister Dominic LeBlanc sa国际传媒渋s engaging directly with the province on this issue. And I can say that we will be there to share the burden and the responsibility to continue being a country that welcomes people around the world and integrates them successfully.sa国际传媒�

Legaultsa国际传媒檚 letter was not the first time the premier has written to Trudeau on the issue. Last February, he told the prime minister in another letter that Quebecsa国际传媒檚 capacity to receive refugees had been greatly exceeded.

Legault is formally asking the prime minister to tighten its policies around granting visas. Hesa国际传媒檚 also seeking the sa国际传媒渆quitablesa国际传媒� distribution of asylum seekers across Canada, possibly by busing them to other provinces. He wants Ottawa to reimburse Quebec the $470 million it spent on taking in asylum seekers in 2021 and 2022, and to do the same for subsequent years.

sa国际传媒淨uebec is no longer in a position to welcome a disproportionate share of the asylum seekers entering Canada,sa国际传媒� he wrote in conclusion. sa国际传媒淭his is an urgent matter of the utmost importance.sa国际传媒�

On Tuesday, Trudeau reiterated his governmentsa国际传媒檚 commitment to welcome 500,000 new permanent immigrants per year by 2025. However, he told the Chamber of Commerce of Metropolitan Montreal that his government wanted greater control over temporary immigration, such as international students and temporary workers, whom he said have a bigger impact on the housing crisis.

Trudeau invited higher education institutions and companies to find their own housing solutions for these temporary residents.

On Thursday, LeBlanc said Quebec has welcomed more than its share of asylum seekers and that he was taking the provincesa国际传媒檚 request for reimbursement seriously. But LeBlanc did not commit to transferring asylum seekers elsewhere in the country.

sa国际传媒淲e are committed to working with the government of Quebec to find solutions to the challenges posed by the significant number of asylum seekers that Quebec receives,sa国际传媒� he said in a statement posted to X, formerly Twitter.

sa国际传媒淚n addition, we are evaluating all possible measures to allow asylum seekers to travel to other provinces if they wish to do so.sa国际传媒�

The leader of the Parti Qu茅b茅cois was not impressed with Legaultsa国际传媒檚 letter. Paul St-Pierre Plamondon called it a sa国际传媒渟ymbolicsa国际传媒� gesture and challenged Legault to demand full immigration powers from Ottawa.

Caroline Plante, The Canadian Press