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    Canada spent $722M on health care for asylum seekers in 2024-25: PBO
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    Canada spent $722M on health care for asylum seekers in 2024-25: PBO

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    34 Comments

    9. ZestyBeanDude on

      >With IFHP beneficiaries required as of May 1 “to contribute a fixed-fee per prescription and a percentage of the cost of supplemental services,” the PBO predicts savings of $217 million annually by 2029-30.

      >Under the co-pay, asylum seekers and resettled refugees now have to pay $4 for each eligible prescription and 30 per cent of the cost of all other eligible supplemental health products and services.

      >The PBO also highlighted Bill C-12, which, if enacted, will reduce the number of claimants eligible for IFHP coverage and shorten the duration of benefits and also alter “intake and processing timelines.

      “If enacted”? Hasn’t Bill C-12 has already been law for like two months now?

    10. rexyoda on

      What is this even trying to make us think? We shouldn’t help assilum seakers? They always wanted to get insulin for their diabeties and finally got it cuz their country started getting bombed lmao

      Edit: i see a response in notification but not here.
      People faking needing asylum has nothing do do with helping them medically. Thats a related, but separate topic which is an issue. And one which I doubt ppl have polarized views on. The fact the title isnt on faking asylum claims just makes it more polarizing for the sake of engagement.

    11. TechnicianVisible339 on

      We are truly idiots and they are laughing at us. Other countries put their liabilities on us and we just take it.

    12. EFPTC on

      Correction: Canada spent $200 million on legitimate asylum seekers and $522 million on people making fraudulent claims in an attempt to bypass the immigration system.

    13. ZestyBeanDude on

      Also interesting how nowhere in the article do they mention how the [cited PBO report](https://www.pbo-dpb.ca/en/publications/RP-2627-005-C–reviewing-administrative-fiscal-impacts-interim-federal-health-program–examen-repercussions-administratives-financieres-programme-federal-sante-interimaire) also showed how much asylum seekers pay in taxes (Figure 4). Which also has a section that explicitly states:

      >This section examines the contribution of asylum seekers and refugees to federal and provincial tax revenues. PBO used Statistics Canada’s Longitudinal Immigration Database (IMDB) to estimate total taxes paid by a subset of identifiable taxpayers who are eligible for the Interim Federal Health Program (IFHP). This group consists of non‑permanent residents with a refugee claim who are not in Canada under a “Special Program” that may otherwise exempt them from IFHP eligibility.

      >Because the IMDB is based on profiles of individuals filing taxes, the estimates presented here may underestimate total federal and provincial taxes paid by asylum seekers and refugees who are also IFHP eligible, for example due to individuals who are working but are not filing taxes.

    14. benqphilips on

      So Asylum seekers are desperate escaping a horrible situation and Canada takes them in and treats them like humans… what the frig is wrong with you people complaining about this?? The gov wastes 722M on many other things, but this is not a waste.

    15. fIanneI on

      As someone who’s been waiting in an emergency room for 8 hours with immense pain, this makes my blood boil. And it should make yours too.

    17. datums on

      So I guess nobody here understands that most of these people have jobs and pay tax?

    18. OddThoughts88 on

      Remember many of these asylum seekers hate you and your family, they have opposing religions, do not accept LGBTQ rights, and have cultures that do not allow women to work or even really be outside of the house. You pay for this, this is what you support with your tax dollars. You can say you are a nice person online all you want, but every time you pay a tax, it largely goes to people that oppose your way of life

    20. Wolfman-101 on

      We cannot be the world’s heroes anymore.

      Our country is severely in debt, our own people are homeless, starving and without healthcare.

      Enough is enough.

    21. BethSaysHayNow on

      The sad thing is, most Canadians were either too gutless to say anything aloud OR they genuinely supported all of Trudeau’s immigration policies!

    23. staytrue2014 on

      And if this weren’t bad enough, consider whether or not this money actually went to Asylum seekers at all.

    24. RSMatticus on

      we should spend that money on Canadians!

      so you want to increase public healthcare spending?

      nooo not like that.

    25. toxictimebomb on

      Elbows up, mark carney the lizard banker has our best interest in mid! He is soo smart!

    27. cptmcsexy on

      Yet I work and pay taxes, I have to pay for any drugs or treatment which can add up quickly.

    28. OldRepresentative955 on

      Just to add some info
      Asylum seekers do pay taxes especially asylum seekers who have work as they need to pay provincial and federal income tax
      722million is about 0.12% of the entire federal budget each year.
      This isn’t about whether I support or don’t support Canada paying for health care towards asylum seekers

    29. Bitter-Solution3832 on

      Low key this hurts as a person who is working a full time job who doesn’t have a family doctor. I guess my taxes are contributing to the global welfare system we have.

    31. PopularMission8727 on

      I paid an absurd amount of tax every year, I injured my dominant has wrist two months ago and got my MRI schedules for July. I went back to ER recently because the pain keep coming back, I have no treatment because the sport doctor couldn’t diagnose the problem. They rejected my request saying “at least that’s free”. I’m at my wit ends, I’m gonna go to the US tomorrow to pay for the MRI (we can’t even pay for it in Ontario). I hate this third world system so bad. It took so long that I don’t even know if I’m gonna recover properly now.