Federal ministers head to Emerson

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This article was published 03/03/2017 (3171 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Shortly after Premier Brian Pallister said Friday that Manitoba is at the breaking point in dealing with migrants and needs help, the federal government said it was sending two cabinet ministers to Manitoba today.

“We need a national plan because it’s not going to go away,” Pallister told reporters. “We’ve all heard the noise from the U.S.”

Later, the Liberal government announced Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale would visit Emerson today. The Manitoba border town has had to cope with a surge of migrants crossing from the United States. Fellow cabinet minister Jim Carr, the minister responsible for Manitoba, is expected to accompany Goodale.

The ministers will “meet and thank the officials, workers, volunteers and agencies on the ground, who have been dealing with the recent increase in irregular border crossings. The ministers will hold a brief media availability during their visit,” Ottawa officials said.

Pallister wrote to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau Feb. 21 asking for help. Pallister could not say Friday how much money and other resources Manitoba is seeking; his staff said details will not be available until next week.

“It’s a moving target,” the premier said. “It’s escalating.”

At least 190 people have entered Canada near the Emerson border crossing this year. Energy and resources are running out, according to people working on the front lines, Pallister said.

The premier said the surge of asylum seekers is putting a heavy burden on housing, social services, education — especially English as an additional language — and Legal Aid Manitoba, which handles the paperwork and legal process for the newcomers.

Amid calls for stepped-up enforcement along the border, Goodale has said existing resources were being shifted.

Because asylum seekers are crossing from the U.S. in only three or four provinces and because it may not be seen as a large problem on a national scale, Ottawa may be treating it as a Manitoba problem rather than a Canadian one, Pallister acknowledged.

The premier spoke Friday morning with his Quebec counterpart, Philippe Couillard. Quebec’s borders have also seen an influx of asylum seekers. “He shares those concerns,” Pallister said, adding the number of asylum-seekers hits Manitoba disproportionately compared with other provinces.

Pallister has directed provincial officials to identify provincial resources being diverted to deal with the ongoing issue and to identify from which other front-line services those staff and resources are being moved.

nick.martin@freepress.mb.ca

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