Immigration Minister Jason Kenney holds a news conference to discuss passage of the Protecting Canada's Immigration System act in Ottawa on Friday, June 29, 2012. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Fred Chartrand
June 29, 2012 - 12:33 PM
OTTAWA - Immigration Minister Jason Kenney is defending the Conservative government's decision to reduce health coverage for refugee claimants.
Benefits under the interim federal health program, which provides extended health-care benefits to refugees, are to be cut as of tomorrow.
After that, refugees will see their health-care coverage limited to emergency services, or if their care is required to prevent or treat a disease that could endanger the public.
Ontario Health Minister Deb Matthews is urging the federal government to reverse its decision to ''significantly reduce'' health coverage for refugee claimants.
But Kenney says he doesn't understand why the provinces are more concerned about providing supplementary health benefits like dental care and eye care to rejected asylum seekers than to their own citizens.
And he says that extended benefits for refugees are better than those received by most Canadians.
News from © The Canadian Press, 2012