Premier Doug Ford has reversed the plan and is instead requesting that the federal government expedite immigration processing, less than a week after declaring that Ontario would be “issuing our own work permits” to asylum seekers. Ford led the charge against the federal government for delaying the processing of asylum seekers at the conclusion of the Council of the Federation on behalf of the country’s premiers. At the time, Ford stated that asylum seekers wait “more than two years” for a work permit. He stated that the province would issue work permits and would not be “waiting any longer.” The wait, according to the federal government, is actually less than two months. Ford changed his mind on Monday and appeared to acknowledge that his figures were based on anecdotes. I just go out there and I’m hearing it on the street,” Ford said, explaining where he came up with his two-year wait time statistic.“ Pull over at the Tim Hortons by the Congress Centre on Airport Road, ask the employees how long they have been there, and ask if they would like to work. All of them want to work, but we pay them to stay in a hotel room. According to a spokesperson for Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada, the average time it takes to process an asylum application and receive a work permit, if requested, is 45 days.
Ford government reverses short-lived plan to give asylum seekers work permits
