TORONTO, ON — The Canadian Civil Liberties Association (CCLA) questions the Ontario government’s motives for introducing regulations that would exclude thousands of people—including people with disabilities—from eligibility for essential social assistance benefits.
“This decision smacks of populist politics, not sound policy analysis. Cutting people off from social benefits doesn’t save money,” said Howard Sapers, Executive Director of the CCLA. “It shifts costs to other survival services, such as emergency shelters, food banks and hospital emergency rooms, while putting people at real risk of homelessness and hunger.”
Lacking immigration status is not a criminal offence. Immigration status is an administrative matter, and people can find themselves without status for circumstances often entirely outside their control—including fleeing danger, waiting years for an immigration decision, aging out of a work permit, or losing status because of complex administrative requirements
“Calling someone ‘illegal’ isn’t a policy position—it’s a way of telling the public that it okay to treat some people as lesser human beings,” said Harini Sivalingam, Director of the Equality Program at the CCLA. “Cutting off access to food, shelter, and critical disability supports will push people vulnerable people further into despair at the margins of our society.”
For people with disabilities who rely on the Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP) as their only source of income, the consequences can be devastating: they may lose their sole source of financial support based solely on their immigration status, irrespective of their needs.
The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms applies to everyone in Canada regardless of immigration status. Courts have affirmed this principle for decades, including the Supreme Court of Canada’s decision in Kanyinda, earlier this year striking down an attempt to exclude refugee claimants from a public benefit. Governments cannot circumvent Charter protections by simply declaring that some people are unworthy of basic assistance.
The CCLA is calling on the Ontario government to immediately reverse these regulations and to reject rhetoric that dehumanizes people based on their immigration status.
About the Canadian Civil Liberties Association
The CCLA is an independent, non-profit organization with supporters from across the country. Founded in 1964, the CCLA is a national human rights organization committed to defending the rights, dignity, safety, and freedoms of all people in Canada.
For the Media
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