This article originally appeared in the Spring 2013 edition of the Catalyst.
Refugee health: Churches need to speak out
On June 30, 2012, the federal government made drastic cuts to refugee health care provided by the Interim Federal Health Program (IFHP). This program provides coverage for medication, eye care, dental care, prosthetic devices and wheelchairs. Now provinces and refugee sponsors, many of whom are churches, are forced to cover these expenses.
Today, on Refugee Rights Day, churches have an opportunity to stand up and speak out to show they are proud to protect refugees.
Health care professionals responded
Health care providers were persistent and unified in their requests for the cuts to be rescinded. A nation-wide coalition that included the Canadian associations for nurses, dentists, pharmacists, family physicians, surgeons, psychiatrists, midwives, social workers, optometrists, pediatricians and medical students conducted research, wrote letters and rallied across Canada.
They launched a program that shared vivid examples of unnecessary costs and confusion over the new rules. One woman, 36 weeks pregnant, had been told to bring $3,000 to her next obstetrics appointment because she was no longer covered. After weeks of investigation and worry, IFHP reinstated her coverage. In multiple cases, care is simply being denied. A young girl from a malaria-affected country developed a high fever but couldn’t have tests to rule out malaria. Elsewhere, a man was denied urgent eye surgery to prevent blindness.
Letters were sent to the Prime Minister, the Ministers of Citizenship and Immigration and of Natural Resources and the provincial and territorial Ministers of Health and of Citizenship and Immigration. On June 18, health care workers from coast to coast held a National Day of Action, including an impressive event on Parliament Hill attended by CPJ.
And they made an impact. On June 26, just days before the cuts were to come into effect; the government quietly announced that they would not apply to government sponsored refugees. It was a minor victory, as there would still be limited or no supplemental health care coverage for privately sponsored refugees. Advocates persisted, holding candlelight vigils across the country on December 15 to call for full reinstatement of health care.
Churches had little impact
The churches’ responses lacked the persistence and unity of the medical community. Many wondered where the churches even stood on the issue. Yet, these cuts will hit them hard in both their ministries and financial health.
Rose Dekker, Refugee Coordinator for World Renew, explains the threat. “Churches and community groups already raise between $20,000 and $30,000 to settle a refugee family. It has been a huge benefit that they didn’t have to worry about those additional costs.” She worries about refugees arriving with serious and expensive medical needs, a definite possibility given what refugees have survived. “This could cause a church to go bankrupt,” she says, “and as we promote refugee sponsorship among our constituent groups, we have to be up front about the potential risk.”
Hospitality House Refugee Ministry in Winnipeg, along with the Anglican diocese of Rupert’s Land, sued Citizenship and Immigration Canada for breaching their contractual obligation of providing the IHFP. Students from Canadian Mennonite University in Winnipeg started the 59 Cents Campaign for Refugee Health Care that encouraged Canadians to send 59 cents—their portion of the alleged taxpayer savings from the IFHP cuts—to their MP.
Yet these efforts could have made a larger impact, with more collaboration, persistence, and promotion. Dekker says, “If all the churches had united, perhaps we could have accomplished something already.”
Perhaps they still can. Today on Refugee Rights Day, the Canadian Council for Refugees (CCR) is launching a new campaign with CPJ’s support. Colleen French of the CCR explains: “The ‘Proud to Protect Refugees’ campaign is asking organizations to make a public declaration of their support for refugees and people seeking support in Canada.” Citizens for Public Justice sent a letter to Citizenship and Immigration Minister Jason Kenney, asking him to rescind the cuts to the Interim Federal Health Program.
We will continue to work to ensure the voice of Canadian churches is heard in defence of our common ministry in service of refugees. From Refugee Rights Day to Refugee Sunday in June, churches will have plenty of opportunities to show they are proud to protect refugees, but cannot do so alone.
