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Officials with the town of Ajax, Ont., say in less than two weeks, the town has seen more than 200 asylum seekers arrive, creating a dire situation as shelters across Durham Region are at capacity. Durham’s regional chair John Henry says the influx of refugees is something they’re not equipped for.
“We were never designed as a level of government to try to manage these problems,” says Henry.
Since the end of June, the town of Ajax has been transformed as the unsheltered set up anywhere they can for refuge. A similar situation has unfolded in Toronto at the shelter on Peter Street.
James Dark with the Salvation Army in Ajax says the situation was completely unexpected.
“It kind of caught everyone in the town of Ajax and the region off guard,” he says.
Dark says it appeared to have started with one phone call he received from colleagues at a GTA shelter.
“We got a phone call asking us here at the Salvation Army if we could provide food for refugees arriving here from Toronto,” he says.
“What we weren’t expecting is the next day, we got a call for a new group that arrived. And since then, it seems every day there’s been more and more coming out,” he said.
“I know for a fact that people have been bused in from different locations,” says Henry.
Within just a week’s time, town officials say they’ve seen a 40 per cent increase in displaced refugees coming into Ajax. The situation has put a strain on their already maxed-out resources.
One of those people now living on the streets is 22-year-old Matthew Walter. He tells Global News living rough is a challenge, and with the shelters now at capacity, it can be dangerous.
“People are in survival mode 24-7 out here … and they do questionable things, people will rob you.”
In a conversation with 17-year-old who we’ve agreed to use just her first name, Amanda. The teen was living on the streets of Ajax after being kicked out of an already at-capacity shelter. The teen says even when they were able to purchase a tent, it was stolen along with their belongings, and space is limited as to where they can go.
“We can’t sleep at parks, we can’t sleep at beaches, not by the library because you will get kicked out. And if you’re sleeping on the street it’s not safe because there’s a lot of people that are on drugs,” she said.
A statement released by Ajax Mayor Shaun Collier says: “While the Region of Durham and local agencies have been working diligently to address the needs of those arriving in our community, including access to shelter, resources have been completely exhausted.”
