Canada is already dealing with record numbers of refugee claimants: In July, almost 20,000 people filed refugee claims, according to Immigration and Refugee Board data – the highest monthly total on record and driven by global displacement, advocates and experts told Reuters.
The number has since dipped, to about 16,400 in September, but remains historically high. There are more than 250,000 claims pending, according to the board.
Canada’s government has slashed the number of permanent and temporary immigrants but has less control over how many people claim asylum.
I intend to write to my MP pressing that we need to remain open to accepting those fleeing persecution in the US.
Absolutely. Wish I could do the same.
As a practical matter I expect it’s less US citizens, or even those with green cards, who try to come over, and more folks who haven’t yet obtained regular status in the US.
Especially trans folks! They don’t deserve maga.
Where will they go?
Canada currently has over a million vacant homes. The housing crisis isn’t a lack of homes or even jobs… it’s purely a matter of inflated value vs income.
A lot of the vacant homes are people buying and holding for investments. They have no intention of selling cheap or renting them.
…, which does almost nothing to “bust” the “myth”.
The City of Vancouver reported a larger share of vacant dwellings (7.1 per cent), and the vacancy rate was relatively higher for apartments in duplexes, and low-rise and high-rise structures, a trend also seen in Calgary, Edmonton, Montreal and Toronto.
The point about miscounting duplexes is a good one, as is the temporary housing that wasn’t in use on the day of the census.
But that article is attempting to defend against a different point than the one I was making; it was defending against the vacant houses being a result of the vacant homes taxes.
The point I was making is that it’s not the homes themselves that are an issue but their affordability/fitness for housing the unhoused.
Another point that neither they nor I made is that the market actually needs vacant homes in order for mobility to be possible. Again, the issue here is WHICH homes are vacant / unoccupied, and the census data and the other data doesn’t always go into enough detail there.
Either way, there are plans to build more homes in the next four years. And there’s a lot if rural Canada where people can live more affordably… especially if they do remote work.
Asylum seekers are often skilled and quite often in information roles.
GTA, Montreal, GVA, Edmonton, Calgary, Winnipeg, etc.
Homes? Apartments? Dorms? The same places Canadians live? I’m not sure what the question you’re asking is. Asylum seekers don’t require special accommodations.
Right, I forgot we don’t have a housing shortage or high rents.
/s
Could be good for Canada in the long run if educated workers, doctors, nurses, professors, researchers etc decide to move north.
Serious Q: what’s a nice house cost is Vancouver, in a nice area near a big city? We have substantial means, we’re scientists by training (with PhDs and years of work experience), maybe Canada would find value in us.
Also, how fucked is Canada? I know you have your MAGAts in like Alberta and whatnot, plus a whole slew of your own societal issues.
Vancouver is quite expensive, I’ll be honest. If you are okay with a commute, you can live in surrey, Langley, or even abbotsford/chilliwack. Long commute to Vancouver, but anywhere from 10-30+% cheaper rent last I checked.
Canada should be seen as a time-delayed America in a cultural+political sense. A thing that happens in america will generally occur in a similar manner 1-10 years later here. Our Liberal and NDP (Progressive) parties continually move further to the right at differing paces, and all of our parties & leaders have major issues (in differing amounts):
Trudeau (LPC) is a proven corrupt man who has abandoned the working class more every time he shuts down a major strike (every major strike).
Poilievre (CPC) is a less charismatic, cryptofascistic version of trump, and is very likely to win the next national elsction. This could be any time between tomorrow and Oct 20, 2025 and could be catastrophic for Canadians.
Singh (NDP) is a very lovely man, but has a tendency to make decisions that give his party less bargaining power (See: canceling supply and trade agreement without trying to use it as a threat first)
More than a scientist can typically afford. See for yourself: https://www.realtor.ca/map#ZoomLevel=9&Center=49.328388%2C-122.943704&LatitudeMax=49.87486&LongitudeMax=-122.37516&LatitudeMin=48.77578&LongitudeMin=-123.51225&Sort=6-D&TransactionTypeId=2&PropertySearchTypeId=0&PropertyTypeGroupID=1&Currency=CAD&HiddenListingIds=&IncludeHiddenListings=false
The average home in lower costal BC is (literally) a million dollars. Most of us have given up hope of buying here.
Even second and third tier cities in BC aren’t far behind, not nearly enough to justify the even scarcer services.
