Toronto Mayor John Tory, left, and Ontario Premier Doug Ford meet inside the Premier's office at Queen's Park in Toronto on Monday, July 9, 2018. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Tijana Martin

TORONTO— Ontario Premier Doug Ford says Toronto is owed $72 million from Ottawa to cover the costs of asylum seekers, in response the Trudeau government is accusing Ford of “playing politics.”

The demand was issued in a brief statement after Ford’s first meeting with Toronto Mayor John Tory since his swearing-in last month.

“I support the Mayor’s expectation that the Federal Government provide the City the $72 million owed to them,” Ford said in the statement.

Neither Ford nor Tory took questions from reporters before or after the meeting.

The former mayoral race rivals spoke briefly in opening remarks before the pair and their staff went behind closed doors.

[READ MORE: Immigration minister criticizes Ontario Tories’ language on asylum seekers]

Ford — who calls asylum seekers “illegal border crossers” — said the “burden” to deal with them “has been put on the backs of the City of Toronto and we need funding and we need help from the federal government.”

“They created this mess and we’re expecting them to pitch in and help,” Ford said.

Ford and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government have been trading barbs since their first meeting last week soured over the issue.

[READ MORE: Trudeau suggests Ford doesn’t fully understand Canada’s refugee system]

The Ontario government has said the province will face a crisis next month if Ottawa doesn’t help find space for refugees and asylum seekers currently sheltered in university dorms.

There were 3,304 refugee claimants in the shelter system as of late June, accounting for 47 per cent of its users, according to city data. More than half of them are part of a program for refugees in hotels and college residences.

About 800 refugee claimants and asylum seekers are staying in Toronto college residences that must be vacated on Aug. 9 before students return to campus.

Ford’s statement said the money from Ottawa should be sent before that date. Ottawa has previously said $11 million of a $50 million fund would go to Ontario to help cover the costs of the asylum seekers.

In an emailed statement a spokesperson for the immigration minister called on all levels of government to work together.

“As the Prime Minister and Minister [Ahmed] Hussen assured Mayor Tory last week, we are ready and willing to provide additional support to assist Toronto with existing housing pressures, ahead of the August deadline,” read a statement from Mathieu Genest.

“We have worked closely with Ontario to develop a plan to manage the flow of people to Toronto and remain ready to implement it. All we need is for Premier Ford to come back to the table instead of playing politics with asylum seekers.”

In a follow up comment he said Ottawa is “mindful” of the August deadline facing Toronto.

Ford and Tory are not scheduled to take any questions from journalists. Their opening remarks focused on asylum seekers. Ford repeats calls for Ottawa to pay up #onpoli #cdnpoli #topoli pic.twitter.com/NYGBy9krzZ — Marieke Walsh (@MariekeWalsh) July 9, 2018

“We have the province and the city spending a fortune and the person that created this mess, we haven’t seen any funding,” a combative Ford said in his opening remarks. “Hopefully it’s coming, I hear it’s coming but we’ll wait and see.”

Tory took a more conciliatory tone toward the federal government. In advance of the meeting he said he hoped to speak with Ford about the “pressures we’re facing in our shelter system as a result of the refugee and asylum claimants.”

Ford said the province is spending more than $60 million to care for the asylum seekers.

With files from The Canadian Press.

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