CIMM - Vulnerable Populations and Funding Support
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Key messages
- The Government recognizes that COVID-19 has increased risks for vulnerable newcomers.
- Immigration, Refugee and Citizenship Canada has committed nearly $4B in funding to settlement and resettlement assistance program service provider organizations between 2020 and 2025. Much of this funding will be used to support vulnerable clients, including newcomer and refugee women, youth, seniors and LGBTQ2 newcomers.
- Under the Interim Housing Assistance Program, the Government has provided over $370M to affected provinces and municipalities to help alleviate asylum-related housing pressures. So far, $250M has been provided to Quebec; $88M to the City of Toronto; $17.1M to the City of Ottawa; $6M to British Columbia; $8M to Manitoba; $2.2M to Peel; and $220,000 to Hamilton.
Supplementary messages
Targeted supports for visible minority newcomer women
- Through the Visible Minority Newcomer Women Pilot, the Government is investing $31.9M to offer and strengthen support and services to visible minority newcomer women, to help them get ready for the Canadian workforce, look for jobs, and further develop their careers.
Targeted supports for asylum claimants
- Canada's Interim Federal Health Program provides temporary health coverage to asylum claimants who are not eligible for provincial or territorial health care coverage, including failed claimants.
- At this time, asylum claimants can renew a work permit, but cannot apply for a new one, as this requires an eligibility decision on their claim and these decisions are currently on hold.
- No removals of failed asylum claimants are currently taking place (date for resumption is to be confirmed).
- In the context of COVID-19, asylum claimants and protected persons may be eligible for the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB), a temporary income support for residents of Canada who have stopped working because of COVID-19, as long as they meet the eligibility requirements.
Targeted supports for victims of human trafficking
- Foreign nationals who believe that they have been the victim of human trafficking may be eligible for a temporary resident permit. Individuals may self-identify as victims of human trafficking to IRCC or they may be referred to IRCC by a non-governmental organization or law enforcement authority.
New federal investments for vulnerable populations
- New measures that will directly benefit vulnerable populations include investing:
- $350M via the Emergency Community Support Fund to support charities and non-profits to respond to COVID-19;
- $40M to help women’s shelters and sexual assault centres strengthen their ability to manage or prevent outbreaks in their facilities;
- $157.5M to assist municipalities with supports for social distancing and other pressing needs for people living in vulnerable situations, including the homeless; and,
- $100M for organizations like Food Banks Canada who are on the frontlines of ensuring people receive food support.
Background
IRCC-led Initiatives:
Supporting the Settlement and Integration of Vulnerable Newcomers
- Targeted services are available for newcomer women, youth, seniors, and LGBTQ2 newcomers. Support services are also available to ensure services are accessible, including for clients with disabilities.
- In the context of COVID-19, additional supports are available and for multi-barriered clients, such as refugees, case management services reduce vulnerability and isolation. In addition, service providers have rapidly shifted to online service delivery offerings in order to continue supporting clients while respecting physical distancing measures.
Targeted Supports for Visible Minority Newcomer Women
- Recognizing that many newcomer women—and visible minority newcomer women in particular - face multiple barriers such as gender and race-based discrimination, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada launched a three-year, $31.9M Visible Minority Newcomer Women Pilot to better support the labour market entry and career advancement of visible minority newcomer women. Specifically, the Pilot involves three components: 1) providing additional funding to select service providers offering women-centered employment programming; 2) establishing new partnerships with non-traditional partners to deliver additional services for visible minority newcomer women; and 3) testing and evaluating the effectiveness of different employment-related interventions and program models.
Preventing Family and Gender-Based Violence
- Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, settlement providers have reported an increase in family and gender-based violence. In response, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada has issued new functional guidance to providers, shared resources with key partners, and is engaging violence prevention organizations to help coordinate programming.
- Many settlement agencies provide culturally and linguistically appropriate counselling and support, and have strong community partnerships in place with local transition houses to ensure holistic programming for survivors of abuse.
- In addition, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada continues to work closely with Women and Gender Equality Canada and the Public Health Agency of Canada to support the federal response to increased instances of family and gender-based violence amid the COVID-19 pandemic and ensure the distinct needs of refugee and newcomer women are considered.
The Interim Housing Assistance Program
- Unprecedented levels of asylum claims since 2017 have placed pressure on provincial and municipal social services. In response, the Federal Government created the Interim Housing Assistance Program and set aside $474M to share the costs incurred by provinces and municipalities in 2017 through 2019.
- The Interim Housing Assistance Program provides grants to provinces and municipalities to offset costs incurred in the provision of interim housing (typically shelters) for asylum claimants. Under the Interim Housing Assistance Program, the Government has provided over $370M to affected provinces and municipalities to help alleviate asylum-related housing pressures. So far, $250M has been provided to Quebec; $88M to the City of Toronto; $17.1M to the City of Ottawa; $6M to British Columbia; $8M to Manitoba; $2.2M to Peel and $220,000 to Hamilton.
Supporting Victims of Human Trafficking
- A foreign national who receives a temporary resident permit as a victim of human trafficking also becomes eligible for an open work permit, if the permit has been issued for 180 days, and for coverage under the Interim Federal Health Program.
- Initial temporary resident permits are typically issued for up to 180 days and are fee exempt. With legal status and a work permit, victims of human trafficking are in a better position to escape the influence of their traffickers, begin to recover mentally and physically from their ordeal and consider their options for the future.
- Foreign nationals can take this time and opportunity to apply for any other type of temporary or permanent status that they may be eligible for. In accordance with international best practices, victims are not required to collaborate with enforcement agencies or testify against their traffickers in order to receive the permit.
Other Federal Initiatives:
Emergency Community Support Fund
- In response to COVID-19, the Federal Government announced the creation of an Emergency Community Services Fund of $350M to support the charitable and non-profit sector response to COVID-19. This fund will provide additional capacity to help the sector develop and enhance services for the populations that they serve who are vulnerable to COVID-19 effects, including seniors, youth at risk, women, the LGBTQ2 community, newcomers, refugees and asylum claimants. Funding will be available nationally and delivered to the not for profit and charitable sector through Community Foundations Canada, the United Way and the Red Cross.
- Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada has shared information on how to apply for support under this new Fund with the National Settlement and Integration Council, with a view to ensuring charity and non-profit organizations that provide targeted services to vulnerable newcomers are able to apply for additional support.
Supporting Emergency Shelters and Sexual Assault Centres
- In April 2020, the Prime Minister announced up to $40M for Women and Gender Equality Canada to address immediate needs of shelters and sexual assault centres. Up to $26M will be provided to Women’s Shelters Canada to distribute to approximately 575 violence against women shelters across the country; and up to $4M will be given to the Canadian Women’s Foundation to distribute the funding to sexual assault centres across the country. Up to $10M to be provided to Indigenous Services Canada's existing network of 46 emergency shelters on reserve and in Yukon to support Indigenous women and children fleeing violence.
Supporting the Homeless and Those at Risk
- As part of its COVID-19 Economic Response Plan, the Federal Government announced an additional $157.5M for Reaching Home, the Federal Homelessness Program led by Employment and Social Development Canada. This investment essentially doubles existing funding to municipalities across the country for homelessness and expands how funding can be used. This funding can be used for a range of needs such as purchasing beds and physical barriers for social distancing and securing accommodation to reduce overcrowding in shelters.
Supporting People Experiencing Food Insecurity
- The Federal Government has committed up to $100M for Canadian food banks and other national food rescue organizations to help improve access to food for people experiencing food insecurity in Canada due to the COVID-19 pandemic. These funds can be used for a variety of purposes such as purchasing food and necessities, hiring temporary staff to backfill for volunteer shortages and distribute food. Organizations that will receive funding include Food Banks Canada, Salvation Army, Second Harvest, Community Food Centres Canada, and Breakfast Club of Canada, and they will work together to meet urgent food needs.
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