Asylum Seekers
You are an asylum seeker and have found temporary housing. We, at the Service de police de la Ville de Montréal, want to inform you that we work in close collaboration with all the partners welcoming you to insure your safety. In order to prevent crimes against you, we urge you to be cautious against people soliciting you around the temporary housing areas.
Do not hesitate to report to the police an incident that may compromise your safety. You can report a situation even as an asylum seeker. We are here to ensure your safety. You can report a situation by:
- Dialing 9-1-1;
- Going to a police station in your temporary housing area. Check with the people responsible of your temporary housing;
- Seeking the attention of police officers around your temporary housing area.
Apartment renting
Given the growing number of people looking for housing, some landlords, real or fake, could ask you for a security deposit to reserve your apartment.
- Ask the landlord to visit the exact apartment you will be renting (not the apartment next door or a similar apartment).
- Do not give anyone a cash deposit without a receipt and a signed lease (with the right address and the apartment number you visited).
- Do not give a large deposit and especially never greater than the first month of rent.
- Be sure to ask if the deposit will be subtracted from the first month of rent or if the landlord will keep it and pay it back when you leave the apartment.
- If you are not sure whether or not the landlord’s requests are legal, contact the office of the Régie du logement or at (514) 873-2245 or the office of the Comités de logement in your borough.
Crimes and offences
Asylum seekers may face people who try to exploit their situation. Some people may take advantage of your situation and attempt to commit crimes and offenses such as:
- Promising gifts or privileges with intent of asking for sexual favors or others;
- Proposing jobs that may put you at risk of being exploited;
- Taking advantage of your situation to extort money from you;
- Offering you money in exchange of promises that will not be kept.
- Do not accept any offer of accelerating your application process in exchange of money. All applications follow the same process. A team will be available to guide you.
Apartment renting
Apartment rental fraud
Reception and integration of asylum seekers
