Recent reforms to federal immigration policies have resulted in preferential treatment to some refugee claimants. The amendments to the Interim Federal Health (IFH) program have created conditional and differential model of health coverage in Canada for refugees. The implications for refugees are grave—many will end up falling through the cracks due to systemic barriers that will lead to the denial of care. Refugee Health Care Cuts In Canada: System Level Costs, Risks and Responses, a new policy paper by Sonal Marwah, offers a review on health care access for refugees and provides insight to what the impact of the changes have been so far. This report focuses on the fast removal of unfounded claimants and the reduction of health care coverage for certain groups of refugees.
Author contact info: sonal.marwah@graduateinstitute.ch