The mayors of three Ontario cities are calling on the federal government to help them support asylum seekers being transferred to their communities after entering the country through an unofficial border crossing in Quebec.
The leaders of Niagara Falls, Cornwall and Windsor say local supports are being stretched to capacity as migrants who crossed into Canada via Roxham Road arrive in increasing numbers.
In addition to federal funding, they're seeking clarity from Ottawa on what lies ahead.
Roxham Road is an irregular border crossing on a country road stretching from New York state to Quebec.
In 2021, four-thousand-two-hundred-and-forty-six migrants entered Canada via Roxham Road, with that number jumping to nearly 40-thousand last year.
Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada says the government began transferring asylum claimants to various cities in Ontario in June last year, after Quebec voiced concerns the migrants were placing pressure on publicly funded services and accommodation.
The department says 7,131 people have been transferred to Ontario communities so far and it is working with other provinces and municipalities to identify new destinations with capacity to accommodate asylum seekers.