Quebec demands federal quota system to relocate asylum seekers to other provinces

Quebec is calling on Ottawa to introduce a nationwide quota system to evenly distribute asylum seekers across Canada.

In a letter sent to federal Immigration Minister Marc Miller on July 22, Quebec Immigration Minister Christine Fréchette recommended that Ottawa set quotas for provinces to receive asylum seekers based on their demographic weight, their capacity to house newcomers as well as their «historic effort» to welcome them.

Fréchette met Thursday with a committee established through the Forum of Ministers Responsible for Immigration to discuss redistribution options.

The story was first reported by the Journal de Québec.

In July, at the Council of the Federation in Halifax, the provinces called for a «fair distribution» of asylum seekers and demanded that Ottawa consider each province and territories' resources to support them.

Quebec Premier François Legault has often referred to the influx of asylum seekers in the province as a "national emergency," saying Quebec no longer has the means to integrate more non-permanent residents.

The day Ottawa pledged $750 million to assist Quebec in supporting newcomers, Legault attributed «100 per cent of the housing problem» in the province to the increase in non-permanent residents.

As of June 19, Quebec reported 597,140 non-permanent residents living in the province. Of that sum, 189,962 were asylum seekers — an amount that represents a little more than half of the total number of asylum seekers in Canada (363,312), according to Quebec's Immigration Ministry.

However, Ottawa contests those numbers.

Limiting work permits provincially

In an effort to ensure asylum seekers go to their assigned location, Fréchette is urging the federal government to restrict their work permits by