Asylum seeker lives in car after being kicked out of government-funded hotel room

One look inside the car and it is clear that someone lived in it.

There are shirts hanging on hangers dangling from the passenger side window hook. On the back seat there is a blanket, a pillow and an eye mask.

The vehicle has been home to an asylum seeker since his recent deportation from a federally rented hotel. CBC News is not naming the man because he fears he will be returned to his country, where he fears for his safety as he continues to await a hearing on his refugee claim in Canada.

It’s very difficult. It’s very cold at night, he said. Sometimes I don’t have a place to go to the washroom to change clothes.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has rules for asylum seekers in its hotels across the country that, if broken, could result in residents receiving short-term deportation notices, leaving them little choice but to sleep on the streets or, in this case, in their car, in the middle of a national housing crisis.

Accommodating asylum seekers is a problem for many countries, including Canada, as they struggle with persistent irregular migration patterns and polarized public opinion.

Ottawa recently announced a reduction of about 20 percent (new window) in the number of permanent residents by 2025 – from a previous target of 500,000 to 395,000 – amid recent polls showing Canadians increasingly negative attitudes toward immigration (new window).

Given 3 days to leave due to alleged violations

Two and a half years ago, the man arrived in Canada from North Africa via Roxham Road – a rural road that became an unofficial border crossing. (new window) between Quebec and the United States for thousands of asylum seekers – and lived in one of the hotels in the Greater Toronto Area. But after a dispute with his roommate, he recently received an eviction notice stating he had three days to leave.

I can’t imagine this, he said. We are in Canada, he said.

CBC News has reviewed the document, which detailed the reasons for the deportation no meeting with IRCC representative And aggressive behavior.

The asylum seeker said he missed a meeting because he had a time mistake, but denied ever being aggressive toward his roommate or IRCC staff.

It’s not fair, he said. I don’t have any problem. I don’t know why (they) say I’m aggressive.

He told CBC News that the immigration officer insisted the reason for his deportation was due to the encounter and not the roommate issue. At the last eviction meeting, he said he was told he could live in his car.

In a statement to CBC News, IRCC said it could not discuss specific cases due to privacy concerns. But it says deportation orders can be issued for aggressive behavior with a very short duration due to safety concerns and that deportation orders related to aggressive behavior are rare.

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GTA asylum seeker says he’s living in his car because of federal hotel deportation policy

An asylum seeker living in the GTA says he is now sleeping in his car because of a deportation policy at federally run hotels. Ottawa has set rules for asylum seekers living there — and if they aren’t followed, it could mean just three days’ notice to move. CBC’s Lisa Xing spoke with the man, who says he was treated unfairly.

In an interview, the man’s roommate confirmed that they had an argument, but said the man was never physically aggressive. They still communicate. The roommate also confirmed that he had received an eviction notice giving him three days to move out. He said he slept in bus shelters for several weeks before someone from his community took him in.

In these cases, for the safety and security of others and staff, individuals are given a short notice, which may vary based on the specific risk and situation, but is generally less than one week. an IRCC spokesperson told CBC News.

Some violations result in an initial warning and the punishment can then escalate to expulsion. There is no standardized process or appeals procedure.

Under IRCC terms, asylum seekers in hotels can be deported for a variety of reasons, from breaking the 11pm curfew and cooking in rooms, to aggressive behavior and missing meetings with immigration officials.

The shelters are almost full

It’s a shame, said Toronto immigration and refugee lawyer Robert Israel Blanshay. It is a shame for a G7 and G20 country – one of the richest countries in the world – to still be grappling with the needs of asylum seekers.

Blanshay and other advocates said the short term is exacerbated by Canada’s housing crisis (new window)where hotels are far from an ideal place to accommodate newcomers.

There must be a better solution for housing refugees. It’s a shame… that everyone is living on the streets, including asylum seekers.

According to the IRCC, as of February 26, there were 7,800 refugees — including about 5,100 in Ontario and 2,500 in Quebec — housed in about 34 hotels in six provinces. (new window).

The problem of asylum seekers sleeping on the streets has been an ongoing problem in recent years as reception centers operate at full capacity, sometimes leading to deaths.

Two unsheltered asylum seekers have died in Mississauga, Ont., in the past year. One man from Nigeria was found dead in a tent in November 2023 (new window). A woman, Delphina Ngigi from Kenya, died in February after waiting outside for hours for shelter (new window) and spend the night on the floor in the shelter lobby.

Greg Cook, a longtime Toronto outreach worker and steering committee member of the Shelter and Housing Justice Network, said the IRCC rules for claimants living in hotels humiliating.

Treating people like they are not adults he said, noting that they are not covered by the same laws that protect tenants.

As a tenant I have rights. This person clearly did not have the same rights, and this person should have the same rights.

‘A patchwork of policies’

Syed Hussan, executive director of the Migrant Workers Alliance for Change, said all levels of government are responsible for housing asylum seekers.

What we have is a patchwork of policies where people who are not qualified, not covered by basic protections for landlords and tenants, are trying to address housing issues. It makes no sense, he said.

Hussan said an attorney should have been available to help the man once the deportation took place, as his group has done in the past.

I’ve seen this. I’ve heard of it, he said. This person needed an attorney who could work with them, reach out, and come up with solutions.

Because the asylum seeker did not receive that support, he continues to spend his nights in parking lots – but not for much longer. Thanks to a member of his community, he found a place to live.

Yet he swears that his family back home will never find out about his time on the streets: I can’t say that to my father or mother, or my wife, my children. No. It will make them very sad.

Lisa Xing (new window)Victoria Stunt (new window) · CBC News