Refugees In Canada

From 2005 to 2014, about 26,000 refugees who arrived in Canada annually were forced to leave their countries due to fear and persecution.1,2 The United Nations defines a refugee as "someone who is unable or unwilling to return to their country of origin owing to a well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group, or political opinion”.3 Refugees in Canada are divided into two groups: those that have obtained the refugee status within Canada (both privately-sponsored [PSR] and government-assisted [GAR]) and refugee claimants who are awaiting government decision. Refugee claimants can come from Designated Countries of Origin (DCOs) (countries deemed safe by the federal government) or from non-DCO countries. DCO claims are processed faster to ensure that protection is given to those in need and those with unfounded claims are sent back quickly.4 Refugees differ from immigrants as they were forced to flee their home countries while immigrants willingly chose
In this report, we will analyze the specific health issues facing refugees in Canada, the impact of the 2012 IFHP cuts on refugees, the temporary measures made in 2014 and other programs and policies made by Provincial Governments to address the 2012 cuts and suggest recommendations on improvement for the