Since 2007, New York City has been providing bus and plane tickets to homeless people who can demonstrate a source of support in other cities and countries.
Refugee aid groups began offering free bus tickets to migrants in August last year, but said they stopped doing so in November for cost reasons.
New York City said it began its effort in September.
“To be clear, New York City has not sent people anywhere in Canada,” Smart said. “We want to help asylum seekers stabilize their lives, whether in New York or elsewhere.”
Unusual pressure for Canada
For Canada, unaccustomed to these issues, the immigration rhetoric is on the rise. And more and more voices are calling for the renegotiation of a treaty that stipulates, like the Dublin agreement in Europe, that migrants must file their asylum claim in the first country they arrive.
The Quebec government has said the surge in asylum seekers is testing its ability to house people and provide basic services. The federal government said it has relocated more than 5,500 asylum seekers to other provinces since June, the first time it has done so.
In his downtown Montreal office, refugee lawyer Pierre-Luc Bouchard says he’s never been so busy. “I have limited resources. I cannot serve everyone,” he told Reuters. “My staff are getting tired of saying ‘no’.”
With information from AFP and Reuters