Agencies working with refugee claimants in Waterloo region say more supports needed, call for government help

Local agencies working with refugee claimants in Waterloo region say their clients are in urgent need of more assistance and call for all levels of government work together to co-ordinate and provide better supports. 

Last week, the federal government announced $212 million in funding to help Toronto, Ottawa and the Province of Quebec to help them fund an interim housing assistance program to help with an influx of asylum seekers.

But it's not just a big city problem, local groups say.

"What we saw in Toronto was absolutely devastating, but we've seen it building," Lucia Harrison, CEO of the K-W Multicultural Centre, told CBC News.

"We need the federal government, the provincial government and municipalities to come together on this and look at not only the situation today, but longer-term strategies."

The K-W Multicultural Centre and Compass Refugee Centre are the only agencies in Waterloo region that specifically work with refugee claimants, or asylum seekers, to provide services and supports like housing, employment and also help with refugee hearing preparations and permanent residency.

Last week, the Ontario Big City Mayors caucus, which includes mayors from Kitchener, Waterloo and Cambridge, released a statement calling for more financial funds form the federal government so that municipalities and agencies can help asylum seekers as they settle.

The statement came after dozens of refugees claimants in Toronto slept outside because of a lack of housing and adequate shelter space in the city.

Harrison, who is also co-chair of the region's refugee task force, said the crisis in Toronto hasn't happened in Waterloo region yet, but as more refugee claimants come to the region, she fears it may happen soon.

She said there have been times when some refugee claimants have had to access the region's shelter system or have had to couch surf for a period of time before they're able to finding housing.

"Housing is a crisis for everyone, so finding accommodations is difficult, processes are difficult [and] finding all the appropriate services, which at the moment most are centralized in Toronto," she said.

"We're not there yet, but ... we're not too far from having people sleeping on the streets here who are refugee claimants."

Shelley Campagnola, executive director of Compass Refugee says the number of refugee claimants coming to the region range from 60 to 70 on average every month and they're coming from 38 countries. Harrison said that number has gone up to 80 people at times.

Harrison and Campagnola said their organizations are seeing refugee claimants come from areas like Mexico lately, landing on direct flights at the Region of Waterloo International Airport.