The city has seen asylum seekers sleeping on the sidewalks in recent weeks, unable to get a space in the shelter system. Demeke suggested the fact that many asylum seekers in need of shelter are from countries in Africa may have contributed to what she called government inaction. The Ethiopian association has rented a long-term Airbnb for just under $8,000 a month and rented another residential unit in Oshawa, Ont., to house several dozen recent asylum seekers, Demeke said. Outside the Ethiopian community, other institutions have warned that their efforts to help asylum seekers have strained scarce resources. The City of Toronto said that, along with community leaders, it had "escalated" efforts to respond to the urgent shelter needs of asylum seekers.

Source: Ethiopian News August 04, 2023 16:41 UTC