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NF Mayor Concerned for Tourism Season

Jim Diodati staying on top of federal government for help with continued flow of asylum seekers, as hotels stay booked

There is concern from Niagara Falls' mayor the city's hotels will be ready for tourism season while balancing the high number of asylum seekers.

Jim Diodati says the number arriving here remains steady, and hotels are preparing to house more.  He was told by the federal Immigration Minister about a month ago the number coming to Niagara Falls would subside, but that hasn't happened.

He adds he's pressuring the federal government for help, including the US government.

"It'll all be contingent on the meeting with President Biden, when he comes here later this month.  That's when they're going to have to decide what's happening with these illegal crossings, these legal loopholes, like Roxham Road in New York, going into Quebec," he says.

The mayor says many jump the queue ahead of others, by avoiding official border crossings and using Roxhom Road.  They then claim refugee status to Canada at that point, when they already did to the US, which is not allowed under an agreement between Canada and the US.

Diodati adds on top of that, we're still recovering from COVID, and the ArriveCan app, which drastically cut American tourism.  "In Niagara Falls, 40,000 people rely on tourism to feed their families, pay the rent and the mortgage... looking to the federal government, we say we're happy to be able to do our part, because we have a large inventory of hotel rooms, that's great."

The mayor adds area food banks are overwhelmed, and schools need help feeding kids, and more English as Second Language teachers are needed.

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