African asylum seekers in the GTA face systemic barriers and need better supports: new report

Refugees camp outside of a shelter intake centre on Peter Street in Toronto (Craig Wadman).

From unaffordable housing to employment discrimination to systemic anti-Black racism and uneven access to basic supports, the challenges are many for African asylum seekers in the Greater Toronto Area, a newly released report has found.

The African refugee crisis first emerged in the spring of 2023 when hundreds of asylum seekers and refugee claimants, most of whom came from eastern Africa, arrived in the GTA and had nowhere to go and no support. Dozens ended up sleeping on the pavement outside Toronto’s Central Intake site at 129 Peter St. in the hope that they might get a bed in a city-run shelter.

This situation was further exacerbated by the City of Toronto’s now-reversed decision to turn away African refugees from its emergency shelter system and refer them to federal programs. This move was heavily criticized in a scathing report by Ombudsman Toronto, which found that the city’s actions lacked fairness and caused harm, and that it erred in its decision-making and implementation process.

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The challenges experienced by African refugees continued into 2024. Tatiana, an asylum seeker from Congo, landed here that year and also had no place to live and no other option but to live on the street.

In those early days, Tatiana told CTV News Toronto that she felt “overwhelmed, stressed, traumatized,” anxious feelings she said were heightened by the fact that she could not express herself in French, which is her mother tongue.

About two years ago, the United Way of Greater Toronto began tracking the experiences of those who were directly affected by this crisis.

The stories of 29 African asylum seekers, one of whom is Tatiana, as well as nine service providers, are shared in a report by the not-for-profit titled Understanding the Experiences of African Asylum Seekers in Peel, York Region, and Toronto.

“We did some reflection with our partners at the City of Toronto, the Region of Peel, York and the community to say how did we get here and what happens after. What do we learn from this crisis that we can take to the next wave, the next emergency and really prevent that reactive approach all the time,” Adaoma Patterson, the organization’s director of community impact, told CTV News Toronto.

“We heard primarily Black-led organizations and leaders raise the cry and the alarm to say that this needs attention. … The City of Toronto has now identified a Black-mandated and -led shelter that is part of their plans.”

Among other thgns, the report recommends strengthening programs and services, investing in frontline organizations, especially Black-led agencies, advancing policy changes, creating accountability mechanisms, and increasing advocacy so that what happened in 2023 doesn’t repeat itself ever again.

In response, the United Way Greater Toronto is also making an initial $400,000 investment in two community-led initiatives, which it says will support 200 African asylum seekers, helping at least 50 secure stable housing.

As for Tatiana, her situation improved after she connected with a non-profit organization named Passerelle – I.D.E., which was one of several groups and individuals on the ground at the Peter Street site helping asylum seekers and refugee claimants during the crisis and beyond.

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Tatiana said the non-profit, which offers a range of programs and services to Black and racialized francophone newcomers, has provided her with the help she needed to get settled in Canada and plan her future.

“I am so happy to live here because I can express myself, and when I don’t understand, I have the support,” she told CTV News Toronto through a translator.

Leonie Tchatat, Passerelle’s founder and CEO, said it can be traumatizing for refugees who only speak French, but are forced to immerse themselves in services that are mostly offered in English.

“Most of the work that we’re doing is to really help these newcomers and install themselves, settle in Toronto, by offering culturally adapted core government services,” she said.

City of Toronto says it is ‘committed’ to supporting those seeking refuge

The City of Toronto, meanwhile, said it is “committed to ensuring that everyone seeking refuge in our city, including African asylum seekers, are treated with dignity and has access to the supports they need to begin rebuilding their lives.”

“(We continue) to work closely with community partners to provide emergency shelter and wrap-around supports, including access to health care, mental health services, harm reduction, and housing help,” spokesperson Russell Baker said in a written statement.

It noted that as of July 6, emergency accommodation and wrap-around support services have been provided to more than 3,700 refugee claimants and that “work continues to create a dedicated refugee shelter system designed to better meet the specific needs of refugee claimants, including African asylum seekers, with culturally responsive services and settlement supports.”

The city added that this work includes establishing smaller refugee houses, like L’Agapanthe, a transitional home operated by La Passerelle-I.D.É., which recently opened to provide dedicated support to Francophone refugee claimants of African descent.

Toronto’s first Black-led and Black-mandated shelter, which is part of the Homelessness Services Capital Infrastructure Strategy is also in development, the city said.

“We acknowledge that systemic barriers, including anti-Black racism, continue to exist within institutions across Canada. The City is committed to working with community partners and stakeholders to identify and remove these barriers, and to ensure equity, inclusion and safety are central to our services and supports,” Baker said.

Toronto says all levels of government need to help address African refugee crisis

The city added that while it Toronto is a “welcoming and inclusive city,” it cannot “meet this challenge alone.”

“(We continue) to advocate for sustainable, long-term funding, and a coordinated regional response from all orders of government to manage the growing demand for emergency shelter and ensure new arrivals are welcomed with dignity,” it noted.

With files from CTV News Toronto’s Allison Hurst