The Canadian city of Niagara Falls is "at breaking point" due to a surge in asylum seekers, its Mayor has warned.
The tourist destination is struggling to cope with thousands of migrants - and has become a hub for asylum seekers waiting for their claims to be processed.
"I gotta tell you our shelters are full, our transitional housing is full, the drug problem is like it's never been before," Mayor Jim Diodati has warned.
"We've got thousands of asylum seekers, we're just coming out of Covid which was difficult for a tourist destination like Niagara Falls. We've been hit from all sides continuously."
PICTURED: Police deal with asylum seekers in Niagara Falls (file photo)
CP24
Many of Niagara Falls's 15,000 hotel rooms have become temporary housing for asylum seekers.
At its peak, the city hosted 5,000 asylum seekers among its population of just over 100,000.
Each morning, children from these families board yellow school buses from 11 hotels across the city.
At the Wyndham Garden Tower Hotel, the country's refugee agency has taken over the basement, with families coming in daily for buffet meals.
"They usually take some of the lower rental places, which means it leaves less for the locals," Diodati explained.
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'Our shelters are full, our transitional housing is full, the drug problem is like it's never been before,' Mayor Jim Diodati said
FACEBOOK/JIM DIODATI
But what began as a temporary solution is now looking permanent, according to the Mayor.
Meanwhile, staff in the hotels have voiced their fury.
"I wish the Government was paying for three meals for my family," one hotel worker told reporters.
Business owners are facing down challenges, too - Diodati shared the story of a Brazilian steakhouse which underwent a £7million renovation only to find hotels filled with people unlikely to afford expensive meals.
Diodati also fears his city and Canada as a whole are set for an influx of migrants fleeing a potential Donald Trump crackdown
REUTERSWhile Elizabeth Bilotta, owner of the Hair Gallery salon, reported losing hundreds of pounds from missed appointments.
"When I have called them they just say they are a refugee as if that makes it OK," she said.
Diodati also fears his city and Canada as a whole are set for an influx of migrants fleeing a potential Donald Trump crackdown.
"It's a big border, and in a lot of places there's no fences, and we're just thinking: 'How much can one country handle?'" he warned.
