Defending the Rights of Migrant Workers

National Day of Action Calls for Health Care for All

Toronto, ON

On February 12 health care workers, medical students and many others joined in a National Day of Action, organized in some 15 cities across the country, to call on the federal government to stop denying healthcare to migrants because of their immigration status.

The campaign began after the United Nations Human Rights Committee (UNHRC) issued a decision in August 2018 condemning Canada for denying access to essential health care on the basis of immigration status. The decision specifically dealt with the case of Nell Toussaint who was denied necessary health care because she was undocumented. Nell is one of an estimated half million people in Ontario alone who are denied access to health coverage and care on this basis, putting their health at risk.

The UNHRC gave the government 180 days, to February 9 to report on a review of national legislation, "to ensure that irregular migrants have access to essential health care to prevent a reasonably foreseeable risk that can result in loss of life." The Canadian government had not responded to the UN committee's request as of the deadline.

In light of this UN decision, over 1,500 individuals and 80 organizations signed an open letter addressed to the federal government demanding it take action to:

1. Comply with the UNHRC's order to review existing laws and policies regarding health care coverage for irregular migrants.

2. Ensure appropriate resource allocation, so that all people in Canada are provided universal and equitable access to health care services, regardless of immigration status.

3. Provide Nell Toussaint with adequate compensation for the significant harm she has suffered as a result of not receiving essential health care services.