Taken together with Bills C-2 and C-12, this policy signals yet another setback to Canada’s commitment, and legal responsibility, to uphold refugee rights.

Decades of research show that even small copayments can significantly impede access to care, especially for people with limited income. This proposed change will therefore likely have serious consequences for refugees’ and refugee claimants’ health and wellbeing.

Hearty congratulations on this milestone!! You rock.

Thank you so much for your moral support, my friend! Fingers crossed for a positive outcome, for the sake of migrants and refugees, as well as the coherence of Charter equality rights analysis. 🤞🏼🤞🏼

These arguments are largely grounded in the reflections I made in a forthcoming book chapter. While the chapter considers the deficiency of s.15 in the healthcare context, the facts in Kanyinda show that the same troubling "xenophobic gap" exists elsewhere. papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers....

To that end, we will urge the Court to recognize immigration status as a prohibited ground of discrimination under s.15 of the Charter, and to adopt a broader understanding of citizenship-based distinctions. We also argue that discriminatory effects of law must be examined through intersectionality.

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You are too kind, Roojin!

Unlike a work permit that restricts migrant workers to a single employer, an open work permit gives them more freedom to change jobs. This flexibility helps protect them from exploitation and mistreatment. However, in Quebec, having this added workplace protection comes with a major downside. /2

Before Quebec reforms its policy, I also identified in the interview a few ways that the federal government could step in temporarily to fill the health care coverage gap, including the extension of the Interim Federal Health Program to the Iranian newcomers. /4

Most migrants with open work permits, including the Iranian newcomers, are not eligible for RAMQ, the province’s public health insurance. This policy is both unfair and illogical, and it’s long past time for a change. /3