CIMM – IRCC Hotels – November 29, 2022

Key Messages

• As of October 1, 2022, non-vaccinated asylum claimants are no longer required to quarantine.
• IRCC will continue to provide accommodations to asylum claimants arriving through Roxham Road near Lacolle, Quebec, and from the Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport in Montreal, during these unprecedented times, when provincial shelters are full.
• Providing social services, including longer-term housing, remains the responsibility of the provinces and municipalities.
• We remain committed to fulfilling our obligations with regard to refugees, while continuing to work in close collaboration with the affected provinces to provide support and develop shared solutions.

Supplementary Messages

Temporary Accommodations Post October 1, 2022

• On October 1, 2022, the Government of Canada removed the last remaining COVID-19 border and travel measures. Although asylum claimants are no longer required to quarantine, IRCC will continue to temporarily accommodate asylum claimants in its hotels until they are able to find alternative accommodations or until space is available in the provincial shelters.
• It is expected that Quebec will continue to see large volumes of asylum claimants. The number of asylum claimants arriving through Roxham Road is consistently tracking along the upper range of projections, and the number of airport arrivals at the Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport in Montreal has increased significantly in 2022 and is expected to continue to increase in the coming months, as they historically rise in the fall.
• The Department has reassured and advised the provinces of Quebec and Ontario that, in order to backstop provincial capacity and help manage the pressures associated with a high volume of asylum claimants arriving in Quebec, IRCC will continue to play a role in providing temporary accommodations to asylum claimants for the foreseeable future.

Supporting Facts And Figures

Temporary Accommodations

• Currently, IRCC holds leases and contracts with 24 hotels across Canada with a capacity of over 2,400 rooms and has contracts with service providers in order to provide temporary accommodation to asylum claimants until they secure private accommodation or while they await transfer to a provincial shelter. Of those numbers, 16 hotels are in Quebec, in the Greater Montreal and surroundings area, with a capacity over 1700 rooms.
• Since April 2020 to October 31st, 2022, IRCC has provided temporary accommodations to nearly 27,900 asylum claimants, and the Department was accommodating over 4,600 claimants as of October 31st, 2022. Most of those asylum claimants were staying in our hotels for an average of 30 days, but some have been staying more than 1 month up to three months due to several reasons, including limited provincial shelter capacity and difficulty to find available and affordable permanent housing.
• Since July 2017, more asylum claimants have arrived at Roxham Road (over 87,000 as of Oct 25th 2022) than all other points of entry into Canada combined (over 69,000 at air, land and marine ports of entry).
• The province with the second highest volume of irregular asylum claimants is British Columbia with 2,829 irregular claimants since 2017. From January to October 2022, B.C. has received just over 546 irregular arrivals.

• From April 2017 to October 31st, 2022, IRCC spent $286.3 million on accommodation, security, health and transportation costs related to Roxham Road.

Background

Irregular migrants at the border and temporary accommodations

• From late 2017 to early 2020 (prior to the pandemic), IRCC had provided temporary accommodations for asylum claimants arriving between ports of entry near Lacolle Quebec on an ad hoc basis to support the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) while they completed asylum intake processing, which took from 24-48 hours. Claimants were housed onsite at the Lacolle port of entry in the CBSA’s winterized trailers and when needed, at the Auberge which was leased by IRCC.
• In April 2020, IRCC began providing temporary accommodations and support services to asylum claimants who did not have a suitable quarantine plan until these requirements were lifted on October 1, 2022.
• With the surge in arrivals at Roxham Road since the border reopened in November 2021 and the resulting pressures on Quebec’s shelter system, IRCC rapidly expanded its hotel footprint in the Greater Montreal area.
• At the same time, following Ministerial commitments to the Quebec government, IRCC also began providing temporary accommodations and support services to asylum claimants who had completed their quarantine period, as well as claimants who were fully vaccinated, until they were able to secure private accommodation or be transferred to a provincial shelter.
• At the beginning of July 2022, IRCC began transferring some claimants to IRCC hotel sites in Ontario in order to help manage the pressures associated with high volume of asylum claimants arriving in Quebec. These transfers are done on a voluntary basis for asylum claimants who have indicated their intention to settle in Ontario or further West, or in case of an emergency situation, these transfers include any asylum claimants should IRCC hotels in Quebec be at full capacity.
• For the time being, IRCC continues to provide temporary accommodations and basic support services to asylum claimants arriving in Quebec, even though the pandemic-related Order-in-Councils have ended, if they have no where else to go for shelter. Given that Quebec receives more than 95% of all between the port claimants to Canada, this will continue to alleviate pressure on Quebec’s shelter system in the interim.
• IRCC continues to work closely with the province of Quebec who is an essential partner in managing the flow of irregular migrants and in providing temporary housing, social services and education to asylum claimants.

Annex

IRCC Accommodations as of 11:59 pm October 31, 2022

Note: Please note that the report below is derived from a manual count.
The breakdown of the # of Rooms in Use by Days Occupied does not take into account transfers between IRCC hotels making the total days occupied by claimants lower in some hotels, mainly in Ontario.

Capacity Legend
Low: 0-33%
Medium: 34-66%
High: 67%-100%

(Sources: IRCC Occupancy Report and Daily Service Provider Reports)
AS = Asylum Seeker