Doug Ford backs down on plan to issue work permits to asylum-seekers
touted it at the annual premiers' conference
, citing frustration at the cost of housing them and federal processing backlogs.
The abrupt turnaround follows a flurry of
questions about how Ontario and other provinces could legally bypass the federal asylum claims approval process
— with even senior staff in Ford's office unsure of next steps.
'We aren't taking it over,' Ford acknowledged Monday.
But the premier repeated his call for the federal government to speed up processing and urged a continuation of funding to support the cost of putting up asylum-seekers in hotels and other accommodations, as well as providing them health care and education.
'We're frustrated. The premiers are frustrated,' he said when asked to explain the about-face.
It came five days after he pledged 'I'm not waiting any longer' to issue work permits because the accommodations and other supports are 'costing our province an absolute fortune.' He maintained there is overlap between federal and provincial powers over immigration under Section 95 of the Constitution that leaves room for the provinces to step in.
Ford made those comments last Wednesday in his closing news conference as chair of the Council of the Federation, a group representing the premiers which held its annual meeting at a resort in Huntsville, Ont. Ford passes the role to Prince Edward Island Premier Rob Lantz on Friday.
At the premiers' conference, the provinces stressed they need more control over immigration to their jurisdictions, in the same way Quebec enjoys.
'We need increased autonomy so that we as a province are able to bring in and support the kind of economic immigrants that are going to support certain sectors of and ensure people have a pathway to contribute,' said Labour Minister David Piccini, standing beside Ford on Monday outside his Queen's Park office.
'To give you all an example, right now, we don't know what happens when an asylum claimant is rejected,' he added. 'The federal government (is) processing fewer asylum claimants and are being made in the province of Ontario today.'
Ford said Ontario would like to work more closely with the federal government to get a better handle on the system, claiming that some people in hotels in his riding of Etobicoke North have been waiting two years for work permits.
But Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada says they are usually issued
within 45 days
.
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