A new federal policy in Canada is limiting how much mental health support asylum seekers and refugee claimants can receive, and it has drawn sharp criticism from advocates. Among the changes that have generated the most pushback is a new yearly cap on the number of therapy sessions refugees are entitled to under the supplementary health care they rely on.
The change did not arrive with much fanfare. Advocates say it was quietly introduced as part of new legislation back in May, layered on top of an earlier decision by Ottawa to make refugee claimants pay for part of some health care services. That earlier move had already prompted protests across Canada, and critics say the government has now gone further.
At the center of the controversy is a specific number. An email at the end of April announced a maximum of 10 one-hour treatment sessions per calendar year for those covered by the program. For many in the system, that ceiling represents a sharp reduction in the care they had previously been able to access through the plan.
There is a temporary cushion for some. Following pushback from therapists, patients and people already in the system, current beneficiaries are able to request to extend their sessions beyond the 10-session limit, but only for this year. Starting in 2027, all beneficiaries will be subject to the cap with no such exception available.
For some who have been through the program, the support was transformative. Amir Sadagatipour, who came to Canada as an Iranian refugee after a stay in England, said he benefited from more than 100 hours of counseling and expressed gratitude to those who ran the program. The new limit would have fallen far short of what he received.
Others tell a similar story. Andrew Gibson, who arrived from the Bahamas as a refugee more than two years ago and now runs a community kitchen, credited extensive therapy with helping him rebuild. He said it allowed him to be more human and more inviting to others, describing it as something that helped him a great deal.
Those who treat refugees say the cut does not match the need. Therapists note that refugees have often escaped war or other traumas and frequently require more therapy, not less, to recover. For advocates, the worry is that a fixed limit will leave some of the most vulnerable newcomers without the help they need to heal and settle.