Canada Ends C$1.2B Hotel Program for Asylum Seekers
Above: Entrance to Hotel Terrasse Royale, base for the Ukrainian Reception Refugee Centre, in Montreal, Canada. Image copyright: Giordanno Brumas/SOPA Images/LightRocket/Getty Images
The Spin
Right narrative
The hotel program represents fiscal irresponsibility during a housing crisis when Canadians struggle to find affordable accommodation. Spending C$1.2 billion on hotel rooms while citizens sleep in tents demonstrates misplaced priorities that undermine public support for immigration.
Left narrative
Ending hotel funding without adequate alternatives risks creating a humanitarian crisis, as municipal shelters are already at capacity and asylum seekers face discrimination in housing markets. The program saved lives and provided essential stability for vulnerable people fleeing persecution.