As anti-immigrant sentiment continues to resonate in Canada, the country’s most populous province is cutting off access to social assistance to those in the country illegally or on temporary visas, including international students and those on work permits.
That announcement came from Ontario’s Minister of Children, Community and Social Services Michael Parsa on Thursday.
The Ontario government announced in a release that it was “strengthening the rules” for the province’s social assistance programmes “to ensure that only people who are living in Canada legally can receive financial assistance from Ontario Works or the Ontario Disability Support Program.”
It claimed the new regulations, which take effect immediately, will protect taxpayer dollars and ensure Ontario’s social assistance programmes are focused on supporting only families and individuals facing financial hardship who are legally authorised to live in Canada.
“These changes will protect taxpayer dollars and ensure these programmes are there for the people who they were intended to support,” Parsa said.
The change came after the outlet National Post reported last month that the Ontario Social Benefits Tribunal allowed a person who had been living illegally in Canada for over two decades to claim Ontario Works benefits. That unidentified person had entered Canada on a work permit in 1997 and never left despite falling out of status. However, the tribunal ruled that the applicable act only barred benefits to visitors, tourists and those with a deportation or enforceable removal order against them.
{{/usCountry}}The change came after the outlet National Post reported last month that the Ontario Social Benefits Tribunal allowed a person who had been living illegally in Canada for over two decades to claim Ontario Works benefits. That unidentified person had entered Canada on a work permit in 1997 and never left despite falling out of status. However, the tribunal ruled that the applicable act only barred benefits to visitors, tourists and those with a deportation or enforceable removal order against them.
{{/usCountry}}At the time, Doug Ford, the Premier of Ontario (equivalent of a Chief Minister of an Indian state) reacted, “Our government will always be there to support people on hard times — but that doesn’t include people living in Canada illegally. If provincial regulations need to be changed to make that crystal clear, we’ll change them.”
Those changes have come about as the provincial government has amended regulations for two acts covering the benefits. However, the updated rules have broader scope, covering not just those in the country illegally but also individuals “authorised to remain in Canada on a temporary basis, for example, those here with student visas, work permits or as visitors and tourists,” as per the release.
“These changes take effect immediately to stop people who are not authorised to remain in Canada from receiving these financial supports, ensuring Ontario’s government-funded social assistance programs are reserved for people who meet the province’s eligibility requirements,” it added.