Saskatchewan rejects Trudeau government’s plan to send asylum seekers to province

The Government of Saskatchewan is saying no to the Trudeau government’s latest immigration scheme that would see provinces across Canada accept more asylum seekers who continue to enter Canada, CTV News reported. There are 235,000 asylum seekers currently residing in Ontario and Quebec but these provinces are complaining about accommodating such numbers, especially given lack of jobs and housing.

Immigration Minister Marc Miller has tried to sell other provinces on the idea of taking in more refugees but there has been significant pushback from Alberta Premier Danielle Smith and New Brunswick Premier Blaine Higgs. "It's not fair to the asylum seekers to move them around the country into areas that are not able to manage," Higgs said.

Now Saskatchewan is telling the federal government to back off. "No, I mean what we have said all the way along is that regular and lawful immigration is something that we are open to and beyond open to,” Saskatchewan Trade and Economic Development Minister Jeremy Harrison said, according to CTV. “That's something that we've encouraged and I think has been a great benefit to the province. That's what we want to continue on that path."

Saskatchewan would be expected to take in about 7,000 people, largely from Mexico, India and Nigeria. "I would be concerned. I'm not sure that the public are fully supportive of those who perhaps have claimed asylum on some spurious grounds,” Harrison added.

Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe has frequently clashed with the Trudeau government over jurisdiction issues. The Canada Revenue Agency began an audit of the province’s finances when Moe said he would no longer send carbon tax payments from home heating fuel to Ottawa. The province has also fought Trudeau-supported gender ideology training in the classrooms and said parents must know if children are considering a change in pronouns. New Brunswick and Alberta have also supported parental rights in schools.