74,000 Failed Refugee Claimaints Still Receive Health Benefits in Canada: Budget Watchdog

Medical devices are seen in an examination room at a health clinic in Calgary on July 14, 2023. The Canadian Press/Jeff McIntosh

About 74,000 people whose refugee claims were rejected are still eligible for health care coverage in Canada, and a third of them are in the process of being removed from the country, according to a Parliamentary Budget Office (PBO) report.

The May 26 report on Canada’s Interim Federal Health Program (IFHP) also found that program spending totalled $822 million in the 2024-2025 fiscal year, with spending for that year averaging $1,500 per beneficiary.