Provinces decry Ottawa's plan to resettle asylum seekers across the country

Provincial leaders across Canada are taking turns criticizing the federal Liberal government's proposal to alleviate immigration pressure on Quebec and Ontario by resettling asylum seekers more equitably across the country.

Provincial leaders across Canada are taking turns criticizing the federal Liberal government's proposal to alleviate immigration pressure on Quebec and Ontario by resettling asylum seekers more equitably across the country.

New Brunswick Premier Blaine Higgs set the ball in motion when he told the Greater Moncton Chamber of Commerce on Wednesday that Ottawa was proposing the province take in 4,600 asylum seekers without providing financial assistance.

The next day, after his comments were called "largely fictitious" by the federal immigration minister, Higgs stood his ground.

"How many of this 4,600 that is being proposed … how many are actually, actual genuine asylum seekers? Because they haven't gone through the process," the New Brunswick premier told reporters.

The federal government has been under immense pressure from Quebec to reduce the number of temporary immigrants in the province, especially asylum seekers. The Quebec premier has said that in the last two years, the number of temporary immigrants in Quebec has doubled to 600,000 from 300,000. Ontario has also called on the federal government for help, citing the disproportionate number of would-be refugees in that province.

Speaking after a Liberal caucus meeting Wednesday in British Columbia, federal Immigration Minister Marc Miller challenged Higgs's remarks, saying they were "highly irresponsible

"We at no time have said that we would impose asylum seekers on provinces without financial compensation."