Agencies working with refugee claimants in Waterloo region say more supports needed, call for government help
CBC
Local agencies working with refugee claimants in Waterloo region say their clients are in urgent need of more assistance and call for all levels of government work together to co-ordinate and provide better supports.
Last week, the federal government announced $212 million in funding to help Toronto, Ottawa and the Province of Quebec to help them fund an interim housing assistance program to help with an influx of asylum seekers.
But it's not just a big city problem, local groups say.
"What we saw in Toronto was absolutely devastating, but we've seen it building," Lucia Harrison, CEO of the K-W Multicultural Centre, told CBC News.
"We need the federal government, the provincial government and municipalities to come together on this and look at not only the situation today, but longer-term strategies."
The K-W Multicultural Centre and Compass Refugee Centre are the only agencies in Waterloo region that specifically work with refugee claimants, or asylum seekers, to provide services and supports like housing, employment and also help with refugee hearing preparations and permanent residency.
Last week, the Ontario Big City Mayors caucus, which includes mayors from Kitchener, Waterloo and Cambridge, released a statement calling for more financial funds form the federal government so that municipalities and agencies can help asylum seekers as they settle.
The statement came after dozens of refugees claimants in Toronto slept outside because of a lack of housing and adequate shelter space in the city.
Harrison, who is also co-chair of the region's refugee task force, said the crisis in Toronto hasn't happened in Waterloo region yet, but as more refugee claimants come to the region, she fears it may happen soon.
She said there have been times when some refugee claimants have had to access the region's shelter system or have had to couch surf for a period of time before they're able to finding housing.
"Housing is a crisis for everyone, so finding accommodations is difficult, processes are difficult [and] finding all the appropriate services, which at the moment most are centralized in Toronto," she said.
"We're not there yet, but ... we're not too far from having people sleeping on the streets here who are refugee claimants."
Shelley Campagnola, executive director of Compass Refugee says the number of refugee claimants coming to the region range from 60 to 70 on average every month and they're coming from 38 countries. Harrison said that number has gone up to 80 people at times.
Harrison and Campagnola said their organizations are seeing refugee claimants come from areas like Mexico lately, landing on direct flights at the Region of Waterloo International Airport.
After walking a few laps around the shop, Maria Castagna picks up a glass ornament in the form of a pink, sparkly ice cream cone and smiles widely.
Winnipeg Mayor Scott Gillingham says he has much unfinished work from his first term in office, as he prepares to make his pitch to voters ahead of the 2026 election.
Moving to Canada from Singapore meant losing close social connections for Iris Akbar, but Akbar says the gift was in finding an affirming space with friends that became like family.
Women and children staying at Regina Transition House now have access to Santa’s workshop — a safe space where mothers can choose Christmas gifts for their children.
A man from Powell River, B.C., is thankful to be alive after a stranger helped him while he was choking at a restaurant during a visit to Whistler.
When it comes to Hamilton readers' favourite library books of 2025, romance and mysteries are in close competition.
From the Detroit Lions losing to Apple iPhones that spontaneously update, Windsorites had things that bugged them this year.
Calgary emergency rooms are “in a state of critical overcapacity” ahead of the anticipated peak of flu season — and to cope with the surge and wait-room crowding, officials are urging doctors to speed up their decisions on whether to admit patients, according to a memo obtained by CBC News.
Northern Ontario's highway system needs improvements in order to make travel safer, a highway safety advocate said.
Hundreds of thousands of used tires are piling up across Ontario as some companies responsible for tire recycling have stopped processing tires amid reduced provincial recycling regulations for tire producers, industry experts say.
People in Guelph facing homelessness will soon have a new place to go during the day.
Islanders are reminded to plan their rides ahead of holiday festivities if they plan on drinking alcohol or using cannabis.
Even before Gwen Healey Akearok began her new role as Nunavut’s Minister of Family Services, she was tuning into the Office of the Auditor General’s (OAG) hearings on the state of the Family Services department.