For several weeks last summer, Canadians were all talking about one story. A flood of irregular refugees had walked across Canada’s border for a new life only to wind up homeless, and their stories dominated headlines. Assumptions quickly filled in the blanks. Some argued that Canada should protect everyone seeking safety, others claimed that irregular refugees are a drain on resources.

There was a headline that both narratives missed, one that’s essential for an informed conversation: how much irregular refugees contribute to Canada.

At issue was federal data that revealed an increase in the number of refugees in shelters or sleeping on streets. At the same time, increased media coverage highlighted refugees who’ve made their way to Canada through irregular border crossings rather than the traditional asylum system. We were left with a distorted image of irregular refugees as siphons for government handouts.

The numbers seemed to support this—there were twice as many refugees using shelters nationwide in 2018 as in 2016—but the people at the forefront of the issue who work directly with irregular refugees paint a different picture.

“The story we’re told is wrong,” says Mary-Anne Bédard, General Manager for Shelter, Support and Housing Administration for the City of Toronto. According to Bédard, around 75 per cent of irregular refugees who end up in the Toronto homeless system are in and out of shelters within three months. They don’t qualify for government assistance while their asylum claims are being adjudicated. But they can secure work permits, enabling them to support themselves in just months. That relatively short period of time, she says, is a huge success.

Since tracking started in 2017, Toronto has helped more than 10,000 irregular refugees find homes. “That’s 10,000 people whose children are attending school, who’ve established their careers, who are paying taxes and being community members,” says Bédard. Homelessness for these groups is usually temporary, she says, and their pursuit of employment is proof that they are motivated to build a new life.

“The story is not that they are draining our services,” Bédard adds. “ want to be safe and give something back.”

You don’t pack your life into a single suitcase and brave freezing cold conditions to walk miles through snow-covered prairie fields into Canada unless you fear danger, explains Kelly Ernst, Director of Vulnerable Persons for the Centre for Newcomers in Calgary. The people he sees have impressive personal traits and wherewithal. More than that, they’re eager for employment. “Not a single person I’ve met has refused work,” he says.

There’s a profound irony here. Canada’s merit-based points system is touted around the world for attracting talented immigrants who can contribute economically. The vast majority of irregular refugees that Bédard sees on behalf of the City of Toronto are English speakers with professional backgrounds and secondary education. The irregular refugees most heavily stigmatized are in fact the very type of immigrants our system is intended to attract.

Canadians can disagree about our immigration and refugee policy. We can disagree about how irregular refugees are coming to Canada. We owe it to all Canadians to have a robust conversation about the issue. But that starts with getting the story right.