The move date looms for hundreds of asylum seekers in Cornwall

Asylum seekers living in a conference center in Cornwall, Ont., say they are worried about how quickly the departure date is approaching.

In early July, hundreds of people living at the Dev Hotel and Conference Center were told they would have to move out by July 31 due to the end of the federal government’s contract with the center, according to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). ).

The length of time people have been there varies, from over a year for some to a few months for others.

The center housed 490 people on July 24, IRCC said.

CBC News spoke to several residents who agreed not to reveal their full identities because of concerns about their safety, political reprisals or their immigration status.

A man who identified himself as Bahir arrived in Canada around September 2022, when operations at the center began.

He said the current housing market and the thought of being uprooted again is not helping his hopes.

“We will lose our jobs and we can’t find any house here. It’s very hard, we don’t know what to do,” said Bahir. “(People) saw some pictures of places where they were going to be transferred and it made their situation worse.”

Several residents told the CBC they were given the choice to move to other centers in either Niagara Falls, Ont., or Windsor, Ont., if they can’t arrange their own housing.

Niagara Falls is more than 550 kilometers from Cornwall, while Windsor is about 800 kilometers away.

The arrival of asylum seekers in Cornwall, Ontario, has changed the community for the better, according to Sonia Behilil, one of the three parties who wrote the letter asking for the extension. (Jocelyn Shepel/CBC)

Displacement could affect children, local businesses

Several community groups in Cornwall say they are also concerned about the displacement of convention center residents, as well as the impact on newcomers who have become deeply integrated.

The announcement in early July prompted 15 organizations to sign a letter asking for a 60-day allowance for people to stay and try to find other accommodation.

The letter was sent to Immigration Minister Marc Miller, Housing and Infrastructure Minister Sean Fraser and Treasury Board President Anita Anand.

The Association des communautés francophones de l’Ontario – Stormont, Dundas, et Glengarry (ACFO-SDG) was one of the parties that wrote the letter.

Its executive director, Sonia Behilil, says the asylum seekers living there have become part of the fabric of the community, with many working locally and sending their children to local schools.

“We’ve seen our community change for the better, to be honest. We’ve seen new members in our community arrive and settle in,” BehiliI said.

Juliette Labossière, chief executive of the United Way of Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry, also helped draft the letter and agrees that the results of the move will have economic consequences.

Some employers risk losing 40 employees in one fell swoop, she said.

“We have other smaller businesses where an employee fills a role that has been vacant for a very long time,” Labossière said.

“And I’m not just doing it. They are doing very well because they are so grateful for the opportunity to start here.”

“I don’t think this came out of nowhere”

Several of the center’s residents told the CBC they had found work in Cornwall and were making efforts to stay.

One resident who has a job but hasn’t been able to secure a home says the barriers newcomers face have made the search difficult.

“They ask for a lot of things that some of us who are new here don’t even have,” they said. “Some of us right now, as I speak, don’t even know where to go. We will only go to the streets”.

When asked why they chose to stay, they said living in Cornwall gave them “something to hold on to”.

“I have three days that I work. So I’d rather keep those three days than go and start over somewhere else,” they said.

Another resident told the CBC they have four jobs in Cornwall and moving to Niagara Falls or Windsor would not be easy.

“It would have been more humane if they had given us more time, because I don’t think this happened out of the blue. They probably saw it being done,” they said.

“And it would have been better if we had been told two months before.”

More than 400 people are accommodated at the Dev Hotel and Conference Center in Cornwall, Ont. (Jocelyn Shepel/CBC)

IRCC is working with the city to ensure that all applicants will have housing

In a statement to the CBC, IRCC said the number of hotel rooms occupied by asylum seekers is decreasing daily and that some people have “secured housing and have successfully transitioned to independent living.”

Asylum seekers are also told on arrival at IRCC accommodation that their stay is only temporary, the statement said.

“Applicants are expected and supported to seek permanent housing while housed by IRCC. Asylum seekers receive resources and assistance to find housing, jobs, education and other needs and are expected to transition to independent living as soon as possible,” IRCC said.

IRCC said it is committed to continuing to work with the City of Cornwall to ensure no applicants are left homeless as a result of the process.

The department also said it is offering support during this time and is encouraging applicants to explore nearby towns and cities for more housing options.