Statement from the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship and the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada

OTTAWA, Dec. 16, 2015 /CNW/ - The Honourable John McCallum, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, and the Honourable Jody Wilson-Raybould, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, today issued the following statement:

"Today, the Government of Canada announced that it will not pursue its appeal in the case of The Attorney General of Canada and the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration v. Canadian Doctors for Refugee Care et al. The case involves changes made in 2012 to the Interim Federal Health Program (IFHP) for refugees, refugee claimants and claimants who were denied refugee status.

"In July 2014, the Federal Court of Canada ruled that those changes violated Canada's Charter of Rights and Freedoms and our government has promised to fully restore the IFHP. The temporary coverage announced after the Federal Court decision will stay in place until a new program is implemented.  

"As a first step, when we announced our commitment to resettle 25,000 Syrian refugees by the end of February 2016, we said that privately sponsored Syrian refugees would receive the same IFHP coverage as government-assisted refugees were getting.

"Withdrawing this appeal is an important step toward fulfilling our commitment to review the government's litigation strategy to address positions that are inconsistent with our values."

Building a stronger Canada: Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) strengthens Canada's economic, social and cultural prosperity, helping ensure Canadian safety and security while managing one of the largest and most generous immigration programs in the world.

SOURCE Citizenship and Immigration Canada

(media only), please contact: Media Relations, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, 613-952-1650, [email protected]; Media Relations Central Line, Department of Justice, 613-957-4207, [email protected];