Health benefits for refugees

Canadian Immigration Minister Jason Kenney outlined his plan to reduce health benefits for refugees.

Earlier this month, all refugee claimants — except for
government-sponsored refugees, such as those who arrive
in Canada as permanent residents — lost federally funded
supplemental health benefits for prescription drugs, dental
work, vision care and medical devices, such as walkers and
wheelchairs.

Those refugees who are rejected after exhausting all
appeals are also no longer eligible for free health care of
any kind, unless their conditions pose a risk to public health
or safety, such as infectious diseases like tuberculosis and
HIV.

When the Conservative government eventually comes up
with its list of designated "safe" countries, refugee claimants
hailing from nations on that list will face the same
restrictions as rejected claimants.
The changes are expected to save the federal government
$100 million over five years.

Doctors have been protesting the cuts by interrupting
ministerial announcements, while a group of grassroots
physicians calling itself
Canadian Doctors for Refugee Care plan to track and
publicize any negative impacts.
Kenney has painted the issue as one of fairness to
Canadian taxpayers and the petition on his website makes
the same argument.
"We don't think that smuggled migrants and bogus asylum
claimants should be getting better health care benefits than
Canadian seniors and taxpayers," says the petition. "We
think it is important that the government scale back some of
the benefits provided to refugee claimants to make sure
they get essential basic care and pharmaceuticals that are
necessary for public health, but that they don't get benefits
(that are) not available to the average Canadian.

"We know that Canada has an obligation to accept
refugees, but we do not think it is right for refugees to get
better health benefits than Canadians receive," it says.
"That is why we support Jason Kenney and his efforts to cut
down on this abuse and to make sure that it is Canadian
taxpayers that are the primary people benefiting from
Canadian health care."