Federal figures show Ottawa spent more than $43 million last year providing health care benefits to illegal immigrants and rejected refugee claimants, fuelling criticism from Conservatives who say taxpayers are footing the bill for services many Canadians struggle to access.Blacklock's Reporter says data released by the Department of Immigration indicates 19,771 individuals whose asylum claims were denied still accessed coverage through the Interim Federal Health Program, including prescriptions, clinical care and transportation to medical appointments.The total cost reached $43,374,287, with $31.7 million spent on basic services such as doctor visits and medications, and another $21.5 million covering supplemental care. That includes services like vision care, counselling, assistive devices, physiotherapy and translation supports.The figures were disclosed in response to a parliamentary inquiry from Burton Bailey, a Conservative MP from Red Deer, who argued the program is unfair to taxpayers.Bailey said individuals with no legal right to remain in Canada are receiving extensive benefits funded by Canadians, raising concerns about equity within the health-care system.“People coming into Canada on bogus asylum claims are receiving health care funded by Canadian tax dollars,” he said in earlier committee testimony, pointing to access to services such as dental, vision and mental health care..According to the data, the number of rejected claimants accessing the program has nearly tripled over the past seven years, even as their cases have been denied by the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada. The department noted some individuals remain in the system through appeal processes or procedural fairness reviews.The spending has become a political flashpoint in Ottawa, with Conservatives pushing to end benefits for those whose claims have already been rejected.A motion to suspend coverage was defeated in the House of Commons on Feb. 25, with MPs voting 198 to 134 against the proposal.Opposition Leader Pierre Poilievre said while Canadians are compassionate, they expect fairness in how public services are delivered.“Canadians have big hearts, but they expect to be treated fairly and they do expect they should get at least as good if not better services than those people who are here illegally,” he said.The federal government has not indicated any plans to change the program.
