Ford calls out federal government for the cost of supporting 'illegal migrants'

Doug Ford is calling out the federal government for the cost of supporting “illegal migrants coming from the US.”

In a joint statement, the Ontario premier along with Quebec premier François Legault said they are committed to working together on this issue following discussions at the First Ministers’ Meeting in Montréal this week.

They said they want to ensure that the federal government fully compensates the provinces for the costs resulting from “this political decision.”

“The impact on our social services and educational systems are being felt by the most vulnerable in cities and communities across Ontario and Quebec,” said Ford.

“The federal government made a deliberate decision to encourage illegal border crossers to enter Canada, while leaving the provinces to pick up the bill.”

The Ontario government said that a report from the federal Parliamentary Budget Officer (PBO) states that each migrant costs the federal government more than $14,300, or $340 million total in 2017-18.

Additionally, they said the PBO is projecting that these costs will increase to over $16,600 per migrant, or $396 million total, in 2019-20.

Ford’s government also say that report does not include the hundreds of millions of dollars already spent by Ontario and Quebec to cover the cost of providing shelter, legal aid, social assistance and educational support.

“The offer currently on the table from the federal government is not acceptable to us, because it does not take into account the significant costs incurred by Quebec and Ontario in receiving migrants in the current context,” said Premier Legault. “The federal government must assume its responsibility and ensure that our two governments are fully reimbursed.”

Doug Ford calls out federal government for the cost of supporting 'illegal migrants'

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