Montreal shelter supporting asylum seekers seeing increase in demand

The March permanent closure of Roxham Road, a popular irregular border crossing into Quebec, was supposed to slow the arrival of asylum seekers to the province, but instead created an influx of migrants at Canadian airports.

This, mixed with Montreal’s housing crisis, has put an extra amount of pressure on shelters like La Traverse in Montreal-Nord.

Owner Kicha Estimé is being forced to turn down five to 10 people in need daily.

“I have to refuse people every day,” she said. “They call me to see if I have place for a family or for a woman or for men. I have to refuse them.”

Estimé previously worked in a migrant detention centre. She has been running the transitional home for the last three years, almost entirely out of pocket.

“They call me Mother Teresa because I love to help,” she said.

She charges $400 monthly, with users staying on average between one to three months.

The shelter has 10 rooms and is currently housing 27 people, but due to the growing demand, Estimé is looking to move to a bigger space.

“I give all I have, I’m here to help them if they need the information,” she said. “But the place I have is too small. If I have a big place, I could accept more people.”

Yannick Ndayimirije came from Burundi, bordering Rwanda, for a better life almost a year ago and has been staying here since last October.

“[With] the money fund we get, it’s not easy to to look for places here,” he said. “Even if they give us some websites, Kijiji, it’s not easy to look for.”

Ndayimirije said between paying rent, groceries and transportation, he wouldn’t have enough money.

Frantz André who also works with asylum seekers with the Non-status Action Committee, says the closure of Roxham Road has created a surge in visa applications, which slows down the process.

“Because they’re claiming asylum within, it takes longer to get,” he said. “And the costs of shelters or apartments are very very high, so it’s very difficult for them to find a place to stay right away.”

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André says his solutions would be to reinstate hotels dedicated to migrants. He would also want to see work permits fast-tracked, so the people can get on their feet faster.

“I’ve seen a gentleman who’s been there for four months in the city developing mental health issues,” he said. “A lady, she was four months pregnant, sleeping in the metro for five or six days, so it’s a very worrisome.”

For Ndayimirije, who says he feels like La Traverse is home, the plan is to stay there a little while longer.

He now has a work permit and wants to begin looking for training and a job. He says he’s grateful for the shelter constantly offering “teachable moments.”

“It’s helping to achieve something, something better,” he sad.

But for Estimé to continue doing this, she needs more support.

“I need the population or the government know I exist and to give me funds to help people,” she said.