Canadian taxpayers are paying an average of $195 a day to house and feed illegal immigrants, according to new federal data showing a modest decline from last year’s costs. .Blacklock's Reporter says the Department of Immigration offered no explanation for the savings.An Inquiry Of Ministry tabled in the House of Commons revealed that hotel rooms now cost $132.38 per night on average, down from $140 last year, while daily meals fell from $84 to $62.18. Overall, the combined bill for accommodation, food, and basic services dropped from $224 per day to $195.The figures were released in response to a question from Conservative MP Lianne Rood, who asked for a breakdown of “goods and services” provided to asylum claimants entering Canada illegally. The numbers exclude additional costs for snacks, bottled water, and other supplies distributed by the Canada Border Services Agency, which averaged $28.32 per person..“The Agency ensures asylum claimants are treated with compassion and efficiency while preserving the integrity of the immigration system,” the report stated. It added that if claimants remain under examination for more than three hours, they may be provided with food, blankets, and hygiene products.From January to June, border officials processed 10,655 asylum claimants at land crossings, 6,275 at airports, and intercepted 701 people entering illegally between ports of entry.The Parliamentary Budget Office is preparing an updated estimate of the total cost of illegal immigration, but previous figures suggest the expense is substantial. .A 2018 report titled Costing Irregular Migration Across Canada’s Southern Border found that processing and supporting each claimant could cost taxpayers up to $33,700.No federal department has produced a full accounting of all related costs, including those borne by local governments for education, food banks, and emergency shelters. A briefing note to the housing minister earlier this year estimated that asylum claimants and illegal immigrants now make up 13% of all shelter users.“Those who came as asylum seekers were most likely to experience homelessness within a year of arrival — 43.5% compared to 15.4% for resettled refugees and 6.5% for immigrants,” the department noted. The report also said those figures have climbed steadily since the lifting of COVID-19-era border restrictions.
