Immigration policy overhaul suggested as feds, provinces spar over asylum seeker resettlement

'I think the issue has always been, from time immemorial, that we don't have our levels of government necessarily speaking to each other.'

An outreach organization that supports asylum seekers and immigrants in Alberta believes the systems helping all newcomers need to be modernized in order to better support those coming to Canada.

“I think the issue has always been, from time immemorial, that we don’t have our levels of government necessarily speaking to each other when it comes to immigration issues,” said Anila Umar, the CEO and president of the Centre For Newcomers in Calgary.

On Thursday, Premier Danielle Smith released a statement saying the province can’t afford to take in any more asylum seekers as Alberta is already dealing with an influx of newcomers.

Smith also stated Alberta “has always welcomed newcomers who possess our shared values — and we will continue to do so.”

“I would suggest to you that this is not an ethnic or racial issue,” said University of Alberta political scientist and immigration expert Reza Hasmath.

Smith’s statement was in response to the federal Liberal government’s proposal to alleviate immigration pressure on Quebec and Ontario by resettling asylum seekers more equitably across the country.

“The problem, I think, becomes when we start talking about what type of newcomers and how and what supports we’re getting,” Umar said, explaining while Alberta has a labour shortage and migrants who move here for economic or family reasons can help fill that void — asylum seekers fleeing their homeland to the safety of Canada are a completely different thing.

“They’re trying to become refugees and permanent residents here. They actually don’t have access to funding. And us as agencies that work with newcomers, as settlement agencies — don’t receive funding to help asylum seekers until they are actually accepted as a refugee,” Umar said.