‘Drop the idea’: N.S. premier says province won’t accept thousands of asylum seekers

Nova Scotia’s premier is doubling down on his position that he will not accept any attempt by the federal government to resettle thousands of asylum seekers in the province.

In a statement today, Tim Houston says the federal government wants to send nearly 6,000 asylum seekers to Nova Scotia, something he calls “simply unacceptable.”

He also repeated what he told reporters on Thursday: that Nova Scotia is focused on its plan for population growth and doesn’t have the capacity to accept thousands of asylum seekers.

Houston called on the federal government to “drop the idea.”

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On Thursday, federal Immigration Minister Marc Miller made it clear there is no plan to impose asylum seekers without compensation or consent of premiers.

Miller also added that any numbers that have been floated in public are “aspirational” and based on models that reflect each province’s population.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.