After hurling accusations of creating hysteria, crippling provinces and taking an ad-hoc approach to a
crisis, MPs on the immigration committee agreed on Monday to hold special hearings on the influx of
people illegally crossing the border to claim asylum in Canada.
Conservative immigration critic Michelle Rempel presented the motion for the summer sessions, insisting
the Liberal government has failed to produce a comprehensive, costed plan. She accused the
government of normalizing the trend of irregular border-crossers and wants to hold key ministers to
account.
Calling it a "border crisis," Rempel said the issue has taken on new urgency, because many refugee
claimants currently housed in university dorms will face eviction in early August. Cities such as Toronto
and Ottawa are buckling under the strain of stretched resources, overcrowded shelters and increased
demand on food banks, she said.
Rempel accused the Liberal government of accepting the ongoing situation without a long-term,
permanent plan to ensure adequate supports and funds are in place to deal with the steady influx. The
Canadian public must have the full information to assess what has become a new immigration policy, she
said.
The committee will hold at least two sessions, and will hear from about 10 witnesses. Immigration Minister
Ahmed Hussen, Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale and Social Development Minister Jean-Yves
Duclos will be invited to testify.
Today's meeting comesafter tense discussions between Hussen and provincial immigration ministers
Friday, which ended with the minister openly criticizing the Ontario government for what he called a
dangerous and unCanadian approach to the issue of asylum seekers.
"They've chosen to use false language with respect to so-called queue jumping, when we have told them
over and over again there is no such thing," Hussen told reporters in Winnipeg at the closing press
conference.
Today, the government announced that the $11 million earmarked for Ontario from a $50-million fund to
assist the provinces and municipalities grappling with the bulk of newcomers will go directly to the City of
Toronto.
"Direct funding was required after the province of Ontario chose to withdraw from its jurisdictional
responsibility around housing," said a news release from the immigration department.
New numbers released Friday show the volume of people intercepted by the RCMP decreased
significantly in June, with 1,263 entering the country outside official border points compared to 1,869 in may

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