Alberta and British Columbia say they are doing their part when it comes to asylum seekers

Photo: Darren Calabrese The Canadian Press Alberta Premier Danielle Smith speaks to reporters at the Council of the Federation in Halifax, Monday, July 15, 2024.

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Provinces sympathize with Quebec which asks them to welcome more asylum seekers, but they already have their hands full too.

This is what the Premier of Alberta, Danielle Smith, suggested on Tuesday.

For several months, François Legault has deplored the fact that Quebec welcomes practically half of asylum seekers in Canada while its demographic weight in the federation is 22%.

This would put unsustainable pressure on public services and housing and he calls for therefore up to her counterparts to welcome more of this type of immigration.

In a press conference at the summer summit of the Council of the Federation, Ms. Smith recognized that the problem is acute in Quebec.

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She said she sympathized with Mr. Legault, but added that her province is already under similar pressure.

At her side, her colleague from British Columbia, David Eby , also argued that his province was doing more than its share in welcoming immigrants.

According to Ms. Smith, the federal government must align the threshold of accepted immigrants to the reception capacity of the provinces, the housing to be built, the health and education services to be provided, etc.