Church, non-profit call for urgent support for African refugee claimants and asylum seekers

A church in Vaughan, Ont. along with a non-profit community organization serving the Black community are calling for immediate solutions to help the “alarming” number of African refugees arriving in Canada who are seeking refuge as well as housing and employment in their community.

On Monday at 10 a.m., Miracle Arena for All Nations and ANCHOR Canada will be holding an urgent press conference at the Miracle Arena Canada headquarters at 10800 Weston Rd., just north of Teston Road, in Vaughan to highlight the lack of infrastructure to meet the growing needs of new arrivals seeking asylum and the reality that the city's service agencies are not equipped to “meet this diverse need.”

Organizers say that they also plan on using this opportunity to call out the lack of government support and raise public awareness.

“As a church and community organization, we cannot stand idly by as guests to our city are not receiving adequate care and concern,” Miracle Arena for All Nations and ANCHOR Canada said in a news release.

For the last 12 weeks, Miracle Arena has housed, fed, and provided care for roughly 65 refugee claimants/asylum seekers in Vaughan, many of whom came from Toronto's Central Intake facility at 129 Peter St.

However, the church and several volunteer-run community organizations in the Region who support these efforts, cannot do this forever.

“(It is) a stop-gap measure, not a long-term solution,” said Miracle Arena for All Nations and ANCHOR Canada, who have prepared a joint set of demands.

They include calling on elected officials take “immediate and concrete steps” to address their concerns and demonstrate their unwavering commitment to asylum seekers across the country by putting plan in place for refugees coming into Canada.

Secondly, they’re asking that the Municipality of York Region receive its fair share of the recently announced federal funding to “address this urgent need and the Black community churches and organizations on the ground doing the work receive immediate funding support” and to get expedited work permits and health cards heading into the fall and winter months.

They also want federally funded organizations whose work is supposed to provide services for refugees, settlement, shelter, and social programs to begin providing this service.

And lastly, Miracle Arena for All Nations and ANCHOR Canada are seeking a “strong, decisive and coordinated effort” in York Region to support asylum seekers.