Niagara Falls City is at a "critical point," with tens of thousands of asylum seekers flooding into this famous tourist city, Mayor Jim Diodati of the city recently warned.

Mayor Jim Diodati of Niagara Falls City (Niagara Falls) told the Daily Mail that this well-known city in southeastern Ontario has the most immigrants per capita compared to any other city in Canada.

Mayor Diodati pointed out that the surge in immigration has placed enormous pressure on the city's services, hospitals, and schools. He added, "Our shelters are full, our transitional housing is full, and drug problems have reached unprecedented levels."

He also stated that many of the approximately 15,000 hotel rooms in the city have become temporary accommodations for immigrants waiting for their asylum applications to be processed. Mayor Diodati said this situation is affecting the hotel industry and other local businesses.

Source: Instagram

"People call and ask, 'Does this hotel house asylum seekers?'" Mayor Diodati said. "They want to stay somewhere that feels like a vacation spot, surrounded by other tourists."

According to the Daily Mail, more than 54,000 asylum seekers arrived in Canada last year. At its peak, Niagara Falls City, with a population slightly over 100,000, once received up to 5,000 asylum seekers.

However, Mayor Diodati now worries that as U.S. President Donald Trump tightens immigration policies, a large number of illegal immigrants may cross the border into Canada, leading to a new wave of immigration both nationally and locally.

Meanwhile, Canadians are heading to polling stations today to elect a new prime minister. Conservative Party leader Pierre Poilievre is running with a "Trump-style" tough stance, promising a hardline approach to illegal immigration.

Poilievre hopes to turn this election into a referendum on former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Trudeau’s popularity has declined after nearly ten years in office, partly due to rising food and housing prices and the surge in immigration numbers.

Mayor Diodati echoed Poilievre's view, accusing the influx of immigrants of occupying local "low-rent" housing resources, reducing housing options for local residents.

He also noted that the surge in immigration has impacted tourism, affecting the business of high-end restaurants, as many hotels are occupied by immigrants who cannot afford expensive meals.

Source: Global News

Nevertheless, Mayor Diodati warned that if more border crossers arrive, Niagara Falls City will suffer "devastating impacts."

Reports indicate that during the Trump administration, the proportion of Canadian tourists traveling to the U.S. dropped by 25%.

People are concerned that as Trump tightens immigration policies, Niagara Falls City and all of Canada will face a new wave of illegal border crossings.

Canada is holding a federal election today, and voters will decide whether to keep the Liberal Party in power or hand it over to the Conservatives. Recently, Trump threatened to impose a 25% tariff on Canadian-made cars and proposed "economic means" to annex Canada as the 51st state, making U.S.-Canada relations a core issue in this election.

Trump's threats ignited patriotic sentiment among Canadians, significantly boosting the support rate for Mark Carney, the new leader of the Liberal Party.

In addition, Trump became a focus of the Canadian election again last week when he claimed he might impose tariffs on Canadian-made cars and previously threatened to annex Canada as part of the United States.

Carney emphasized that his experience in handling economic issues makes him the best candidate to address Trump's challenges; while Poilievre focused primarily on public concerns about living costs, crime rates, and the housing crisis.

Source link:

  • https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-14655279/Niagara-Falls-breaking-point-migrant-surge-tourist-area.html

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