WATCH: Minister Lisa MacLeod says about 5,500 asylum seekers have entered Ontario since 2017. pic.twitter.com/5GkjrVwBK4
— NEWSTALK1010 (@NEWSTALK1010) July 6, 2018
The Ontario government says that 5,500 asylum seekers have entered this province illegally since the start of last year.
Minister Lisa MacLeod says that while their claims are supposed to be turned over within 60 days, the federal government has been slow, sometimes taking two years to process the border crossers.
In a press conference at Queen's Park, MacLeod reiterated that the Ford government believes Ottawa is at fault for a "mess" and a "crisis," by encouraging people to come over.
She added Ontario is and always will be a "welcoming place," but that they take issue with those who break the rules.
At city hall, meanwhile, Toronto mayor John Tory met with prime minister Justin Trudeau, a day after we learned the province will not provide any more funding to help with resettlement of about 800 asylum seekers and refugees in the city.
MacLeod says the province has already done its part, and now it's up to Ottawa moving forward.
"What I'm simply saying to the federal government, you have resources, you assets in the city of Toronto, you're going to need to use those," MacLeod said.
Trudeau's government has said that help is on the way.