‘Largely fictitious.’ Immigration minister criticizes New Brunswick premier’s claims
Miller says the federal government won’t force provinces to accept asylum seekers without compensation or their consent.
Immigration Minister Marc Miller has dismissed New Brunswick Premier Blaine Higgs's assertion that Ottawa is pressuring the province to accept 4,600 asylum seekers, calling the claims “largely fictitious.”
Miller stated that the federal government will not mandate provinces to accept asylum seekers without their consent or proper compensation.
On Wednesday, Higgs posted on social media that while New Brunswick is a welcoming province, accepting such a large number of asylum seekers would strain its healthcare, education, and housing systems.
At a Liberal caucus meeting in British Columbia, Miller criticized Higgs's comments as “highly irresponsible” and expressed a desire to avoid politicizing the issue.
Miller emphasized that the federal government is working on a model for a “fair distribution” of asylum seekers and noted that smaller provinces should help accommodate them to alleviate the burden on Ontario and Quebec.
