Manitoba will be getting $5 million in funding from the federal government for illegal migrant housing, the latest in a long line of spending announcements on the issue.
This is on top of the $3 million Manitoba received last year to house asylum seekers who crossed illegally into the province.
The purpose of this funding is to offset some of the costs Manitoba has incurred housing asylum seekers, but this is a far cry from the $17 million the province has already spent.
“We are pleased with this financial support and partnership with Canada to help offset approximately $17 million in costs, and to address housing and associated needs for those seeking a safer life in our province and country,” said Manitoba Education Minister Kelvin Goertzen.
“The province will continue to negotiate with the federal government for full recovery of costs incurred,” said a government spokesperson.
Manitoba RCMP has intercepted over 1500 people claiming asylum at the border with the United States over the past two years.
The province had received $3 million in 2018, as part of the $50 million for cities and provinces struggling to cope with the costs of housing for border crossers.
While $50 million is a significant amount, it has been just one of the long lists of taxpayer-funded handouts to deal with Justin Trudeau’s open invitation to come to Canada.
In July of 2018, the government gave $11 million to the City of Toronto to help them house illegal border crossers. Toronto received another $15 million in January.
In total, $114 million was pledged by the feds for migrant housing in January alone.
But it goes beyond housing. Budget 2019 pledged $283 million to provide healthcare to those who entered Canada illegally.
It is unclear if there is a limit to how much taxpayer money the current federal government will spend on those who break Canada’s laws by entering illegally.
