Asylum seekers have received a respite from the Salvation Army as the NGO has opened a new temporary shelter for them.
CBC reports that the pop-up shelter which has 80 beds is to ease the pressure from a continued inflow of asylum seekers. It is located in downtown Winnipeg.
The executive director of Winnipeg’s Center of Hope, Mark Stewart said, “What that’s doing is just creating that capacity back in our building again.”
He also said about 30 people are already using the space but they expect to hit full capacity in the coming weeks. It will be open till October.
Manitoba had 135 asylum seekers in January, a hundred more than the same month ;ast year.
On an average night, more than 400 people stay at the Center of Hope. About 120 of those people are asylum seekers, according to the Salvation Army.
The new shelter is staffed 24 hours a day. People will also have access to caseworkers, resources and three meals a day.
Its fire and ventilation systems have been upgraded, and mobile showers and bathrooms have also been added, according to the release.
“I wish we could do more, nut I think that we provided a lot of dignity in the space that we’ve created,” Stewart said.
