The abrupt turnaround follows a flurry of questions about how Ontario and other provinces could legally bypass the federal asylum claims approval process — with even senior staff in Ford's

TORONTO — Ontario Premier Doug Ford has walked back last week’s pledge to issue work permits to asylum seekers. Ford and the rest of the country’s premiers said at their gathering last week they wanted more control over immigration, usually a purview of the federal government.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford and Labour and Immigration minister David Piccini speak about the influx of asylum seekers, mmigration and work permits that Ontario has been confronted with in the past few years.