Asylum seekers in Cornwall are hoping for an extension to the relocation deadline

CORNWALL, ONT. –

Community Agencies in Cornwall, Ont. are asking the federal government to give asylum seekers more time to find housing after Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) decided not to renew its contract with the Dev Hotel.

A few weeks ago, the refugees were informed of the news by IRCC and told they had to move by the end of the month.

As of 2022, the Dev Hotel and Conference Center provides temporary housing for refugees, while also offering English lessons and an on-site school for children.

“They are part of our community and they are participating,” said Senator Bernadette Clement, the former mayor of Cornwall.

“Those asylum seekers were leaning towards a community integration process, right? They developed relationships with the community. They volunteer, they have jobs.”

According to Clement, more than 200 of the asylum seekers work in Cornwall, some full-time and some part-time.

“They have become part of the fabric here in Cornwall,” she continued.

Part of the reason behind the request to the federal government was to give them more time to find housing in Cornwall as opposed to elsewhere.

“When we came, we were supported by IRCC. They supported us with English language lessons, French language lessons,” a refugee from Sudan named Mohammed told CTV News. “We need to start the next step in Canada.”

IRCC says it is working with the City of Cornwall to ensure none of the refugees will be left homeless.