Sask. won't take asylum seekers if Ottawa attempts to relocate them

The Government of Saskatchewan has said it will not accept asylum seekers under a recent federal proposal to relocate them across Canada.

Currently, the majority of the 235,000 are in Ontario and Quebec – but the two provinces are having difficulty coping with the large number.

Ottawa wants all provinces to accept a share but a growing number of provinces are resisting.

Saskatchewan is one of them.

"No, I mean what we have said all the way along is that regular and lawful immigration is something that we are open to and beyond open to,” Trade and Economic Development Minister Jeremy Harrison.

“That's something that we've encouraged and I think has been a great benefit to the province. That's what we want to continue on that path."

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Saskatchewan's share under the federal proposal would be about 7,000 people. The asylum seekers are primarily from Mexico, India and Nigeria.

"I would be concerned. I'm not sure that the public are fully supportive of those who perhaps have claimed asylum on some spurious grounds,” Harrison added.

A growing list of provinces including Alberta, British Columbia, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick are taking issue with the idea.

"It's not fair to the asylum seekers to move them around the country into areas that are not able to manage," New Brunswick Premier Blaine Higgs said.

Ottawa says there are levers that it could use with the provinces. Saskatchewan says it's willing to talk but believes Ottawa should not attempt to solve its problems on the backs of provinces.