Wellesley Institute

Wellesley Institute works in research and policy to improve health and health equity in the GTA through action on the social determinants of health.

Home Publications Sanctuary City: Opportunities for Health Equity

Anjana Aery and Rebecca Cheff

Sanctuary City: Opportunities for Health Equity

Home and world

Authors: Anjana Aery & Rebecca Cheff

The global Sanctuary City movement calls on cities to be leaders in providing access to services and a safe haven for individuals without immigration status. In Canada, non-status individuals have restricted or no access to public services and have limited protections under legislation. This can leave non-status individuals in a vulnerable situation that can negatively impact their health and well-being. A number of Canadian cities are now becoming sanctuary cities by committing to providing services to all residents regardless of immigration status. Becoming Canada’s first Sanctuary City in 2013, Toronto is a leader in supporting residents without status. This think piece provides an overview of the Sanctuary City movement and explores how Toronto’s Sanctuary City policy can advance health and health equity by improving access to services and fostering an inclusive city.

Sanctuary City: Opportunities for Health Equity

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Anjana Aery

Anjana Aery

Anjana holds a Master of Public Health from the Dalla Lana School of Public Health at the University of Toronto. In the past she has worked in research and policy at the Centre for Urban Health Solutions (formerly Centre for research on Inner City Health) at St. Michael’s Hospital, Access Alliance Community Health Centre and the World Health Organization. She has extensive research and evaluation experience in mental health services, immigrant and refugee health and employment security. She has also collaborated with many community organizations in Toronto. She is passionate about advocating for marginalized communities to address inequities in health. She is interested in healthy public policy, women’s health and community-based participatory research. AnjanaAery

Acknowledgement of Traditional Land

We wish to acknowledge this land on which the Wellesley Institute operates. For thousands of years, it has been the traditional land of the Huron-Wendat, the Seneca, and the Mississaugas of the Credit. Today, this meeting place is still the home to many Indigenous people from across Turtle Island and we are grateful to have the opportunity to work on this land.

Revised by the Ceremonial Committee at the University of Toronto Office of Indigenous Initiatives in April 2021.