For Immediate Release

April 16, 2018

OTTAWA, ON –

Today, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Minister Ahmed Hussen announced changes to the medical inadmissibility provision of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act which will make Canada’s immigration system more inclusive for people with disabilities.

The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA) has long championed an end to barriers in the Act that effectively bar people with disabilities from immigrating to Canada on the basis that they would pose an “excessive demand” on public services. Upon learning of today’s announcement, CIJA CEO Shimon Koffler Fogel released the following:

“We welcome today’s announcement, which is an important step in removing barriers for many people with disabilities and their families seeking to immigrate to Canada. The Jewish community cares deeply about advancing inclusion and accessibility for people with disabilities.

“CIJA, in partnership with Jewish Federations, service agencies and community activists, has raised this issue with elected officials. In October 2017, we provided testimony to the House of Commons Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration, which was unified in opposition to the status quo. We will continue engaging with the committee’s members to assess how today’s announcement impacts immigrants with disabilities and their families in the months ahead.”

Background:

• For the past two years, in partnership with Jewish Federations of Canada-UIA, CIJA has mobilized delegations of Jewish social service agencies to Parliament Hill during Jewish Disability Awareness and Inclusion Month. Among other policies to advance inclusion for people with disabilities, this year’s delegation called for an end to the medical inadmissibility provision that effectively bars individuals with disabilities from immigrating to Canada.
• In February, CIJA CEO Shimon Koffler Fogel wrote an op-ed in the parliamentary newspaper, The Hill Times, urging the government to end barriers that prevent people with disabilities from immigrating to Canada.
• In 2017, CIJA urged the House of Commons Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration to end the medical “admissibility” barriers for people with disabilities who would like to immigrate to Canada.
• Government press release with details of the announcement can be found here.

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The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA) is the advocacy agent of the Jewish Federations of Canada. 

For more information, please contact:

Adir Krafman
Manager, Communications and Media Relations
Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs
416-820-6871