The mayor of a Canadian beauty spot says an influx of asylum seekers is hitting the area “from all sides continuously”. Niagara Falls, a renowned tourist destination on the Canadian border known for its beautiful waterfalls, is at “breaking point” after a surge in migrant arrivals sparked by Donald Trump’s crackdown on illegal asylum seekers over the border, Jim Diodati warned. The hotspot’s usual holidaymaker turnover has made it a popular stopover for migrants looking for hotel rooms from which to wait while their claims are processed, with 5,000 of its 15,000 available spaces filled by immigrants at its peak.
The city, not to be confused with its counterpart of the same name on American soil, has the dubious honour of taking on the highest number of asylum seekers per capita in the country, and Mr Diodati is afraid that the problem could be escalated even further by the US President’s anti-migrant rhetoric. “I gotta tell you, our shelters are full, our transitional housing is full, the drug problem is like it’s never been before,” he told The Telegraph. “It’s a big border, and in a lot of places there’s no fences, and we’re just thinking, how much can one country handle? How much can one city handle?”
As with many other places in the world, immigration is a hot political topic in Canada, where voters will go to the polls this week to choose their next leading party.
Mr Diodati, an independent candidate who has won four elections, said the issue has already had consequences for tourist trade and caused tension among locals who feel they have been displaced from low-income housing.
“There’s been people who’ve called and said ‘Are there asylum seekers at this hotel?’ They want to feel like they’re on vacation with other travellers,” he said.
Federal funds allocated to waiting asylum seekers have also offended Niagara Falls natives. “I wish the government was paying for three meals for my family,” one anonymous hospitality worker said.
While the asylum seeker population has its benefits – including the entry-level tourist trade work they are allowed to do while waiting for the outcome of their claims – their presence has put local businesses counting on holiday custom in a tough spot.
The mayor recounted how a Brazilian steakhouse underwent a $7 million (£5.2 million) makeover to open in the Canadian city before realising that its largely migrant population wouldn’t be able to afford eating there.
Salon owner Elizabeth Bilotta also said she had lost hundreds of dollars through cancelled appointments.
“When I have called them, they just say they are a refugee, as if that makes it OK,” she said. “These are four-hour appointments, $200 to $300. I still have to pay my staff.”
