OTTAWA — Conservative MPs Michelle Rempel Garner and Dan Mazier are blasting the Liberal government for allowing refugee healthcare costs to “balloon” after a new Parliamentary Budget Officer report projected continued growth in the Interim Federal Health Program.In a joint statement released Tuesday, the Conservative immigration and health critics said the federal refugee healthcare program has evolved far beyond its original purpose.“The IHFP (Interim Federal Health Program) was initially established to provide urgent, short-term, temporary healthcare for truly vulnerable refugees,” the MPs said.“Now, the PBO has laid bare that after years of Liberal mismanagement of our asylum system, what was once a temporary program has turned into a multi-year taxpayer-funded entitlement.”The Interim Federal Health Program provides temporary healthcare coverage to refugee claimants and other categories who cannot qualify for public provincial health insurance.The PBO report estimates the annual cost of the program reached $822 million in 2024-25 and continues to rise sharply due to growing asylum backlogs..The statement cited findings showing approximately 74,000 failed refugee claimants remained in the Canada Border Services Agency removals inventory as of February 2026.“Failed refugee claimants may remain eligible for IFHP coverage while their cases are being assessed through ongoing immigration or risk-related processes,” the report stated.The Conservatives also pointed to PBO findings that the average duration of Interim Federal Health Program coverage for asylum claimants increased from roughly three years in 2021-22 to four years in 2024-25.“Nearly 50% of claimants who ultimately received a negative decision from the IRB in 2019 remained in the system for more than three years following that decision,” the report said.The two MPs criticized what they described as expanding supplemental healthcare benefits for asylum claimants while millions of Canadians remain without family doctors.“The Liberals must explain to Canadians why asylum seekers who have had their refugee claims rejected, are facing enforceable removal orders, and in some cases fail to appear for removal, continue to receive deluxe, taxpayer-funded health benefits while they avoid leaving Canada,” the MPs said.The Conservatives highlighted rapid growth in several categories of spending under the program including counseling and dental services. Cited PBO figures show counselling services rose from less than 1% of supplementary spending in 2016 to 11% in 2025, with counselling costs reaching nearly $38.8 million in 2024-25.Dental costs under the program increased from roughly $30 million to $257 million over five years.The MPs further argued that immigration backlogs are contributing significantly to rising costs.“Liberal backlogs and slow processing add up to $72 million in extra annual costs for each additional month of delay,” they said.The Conservatives renewed calls to restrict failed asylum claimants to emergency life-saving healthcare coverage only. “Conservatives will restore Canada’s immigration system, ensure healthcare capacity is available before setting immigration levels, and end taxpayer-funded deluxe health benefits for failed asylum claimants who have been told to leave Canada,” the statement said.
