False asylum claims drive refugee health-care program toward $1B price tag
In 2016, the Interim Federal Health Program cost $60M, covering just over 16,000 claimants. This year, roughly 600,000 people are covered — pushing costs to nearly $1B.
Author of the article:Brian Lilley
Published Feb 12, 2026 • Last updated 21 hours ago • 3 minute read
Roxham Road
Workers demolish the temporary installation for refugee claimants at Roxham Road in St. Bernard-de-Lacolle, Que., Monday, Sept. 25, 2023. Photo by Ryan Remiorz /THE CANADIAN PRESS
A federal program to provide health care to refugees and asylum claimants that a decade ago cost just $60 million a year is expected to cost taxpayers close to $1 billion this year. And according to the Parliamentary Budget Officer, the program will cost more than $1.5 billion annually by the end of the decade.
The sharp spike in costs is the result of the Liberals making the program more generous and the out-of-control increase in asylum claims – most of them false.
Costs soar as asylum claims skyrocket
Back in 2016, the Interim Federal Health Program cost taxpayers just $60 million annually. At that point in time there were just over 16,000 people who had claimed asylum in Canada.
Fast forward to 2024, the last year where full stats are available, and 190,000 people were claiming asylum in Canada. In addition, as of late last year, there was a backlog of unheard claims totalling more than 250,000 people.
The review of the IFHP conducted by the Parliamentary Budget Officer finds that this year there are roughly 600,000 people covered by the program — more than two thirds of them are asylum claimants.
Who is covered under the IFHP?
This program covers overseas settled refugees — these are people brought to Canada from refugee camps around the world to be resettled. This is the smallest group covered by this program and has been for years.
The next group covered are known as “in-Canada resettled refugees,” essentially people allowed into Canada based on persecution in their home country. It can be for factors such as race, religion, political opinion, sexual orientation, and other factors.
The vast majority of those in the asylum claim stream arrived in Canada in one way or another and then claimed asylum. Many flew to Canada thanks to the lack of visa requirements and then claimed asylum once they landed. Others came to Canada on student or temporary work visas and then claimed asylum.
Canada’s lax visa policies drive surge in claims
Canada’s system doesn’t allow for claims to be automatically dismissed based on where the claimant is coming from, we need to treat all claims the same until the hearing.
That’s why in 2025 we had close to 500 Americans declare asylum in Canada. Don’t think it’s all Donald Trump — we had 328 American cases pending at the end of 2024 during the Joe Biden era, but regardless of who is president, we shouldn’t treat American asylum claims as serious.
Same with the 12,891 claims from Mexico in 2024, a number that dropped to just over 4,000 when visa requirements were reinstated.
We had 32,563 Indian nationals declare asylum in Canada in 2024, and at the end of 2025 there is a backlog of roughly 44,000 asylum claims from India. That’s a small city of people from India, a fellow democracy with a growing economy, suddenly declaring asylum.
It didn’t used to be this way.
A decade ago, under the Stephen Harper government, there would be a few hundred Indian nationals per year claiming asylum. It grew to a few thousand a year and then spiked in 2023 as Indian nationals who had come to Canada on student and work visas began declaring asylum rather than go home.
Taxpayers foot the bill
There are real refugees in the world and that is why we have our refugee and asylum system. It is not meant to be abused by people who don’t want to be bothered following the usual immigration rules, yet too often, that is the case today.
And it is you, the taxpayer, who is footing the bill for this through programs like the Interim Federal Health Program, and others, that tens of thousands of people are now taking advantage of for their own benefit.
The Mark Carney Liberals are talking about tinkering with the program to reduce costs. They want to begin asking for a 30% co-pay for services such as dental care, eye care, and mental health services, programs many Canadians don’t get covered at all under their government plan.
Instead of tinkering at the edges, the smart thing to do would be to get the asylum program back on track and stop allowing tens of thousands of people to abuse it each year.
That’s a sure way to reduce costs and put faith back in the system.
blilley@postmedia.com
torontosun.com
In 2016, the Interim Federal Health Program cost $60M, covering just over 16,000 claimants. This year, roughly 600,000 people are covered — pushing costs to nearly $1B.
Author of the article:Brian Lilley
Published Feb 12, 2026 • Last updated 21 hours ago • 3 minute read
Roxham Road
Workers demolish the temporary installation for refugee claimants at Roxham Road in St. Bernard-de-Lacolle, Que., Monday, Sept. 25, 2023. Photo by Ryan Remiorz /THE CANADIAN PRESS
A federal program to provide health care to refugees and asylum claimants that a decade ago cost just $60 million a year is expected to cost taxpayers close to $1 billion this year. And according to the Parliamentary Budget Officer, the program will cost more than $1.5 billion annually by the end of the decade.
The sharp spike in costs is the result of the Liberals making the program more generous and the out-of-control increase in asylum claims – most of them false.
Costs soar as asylum claims skyrocket
Back in 2016, the Interim Federal Health Program cost taxpayers just $60 million annually. At that point in time there were just over 16,000 people who had claimed asylum in Canada.
Fast forward to 2024, the last year where full stats are available, and 190,000 people were claiming asylum in Canada. In addition, as of late last year, there was a backlog of unheard claims totalling more than 250,000 people.
The review of the IFHP conducted by the Parliamentary Budget Officer finds that this year there are roughly 600,000 people covered by the program — more than two thirds of them are asylum claimants.
Who is covered under the IFHP?
This program covers overseas settled refugees — these are people brought to Canada from refugee camps around the world to be resettled. This is the smallest group covered by this program and has been for years.
The next group covered are known as “in-Canada resettled refugees,” essentially people allowed into Canada based on persecution in their home country. It can be for factors such as race, religion, political opinion, sexual orientation, and other factors.
The vast majority of those in the asylum claim stream arrived in Canada in one way or another and then claimed asylum. Many flew to Canada thanks to the lack of visa requirements and then claimed asylum once they landed. Others came to Canada on student or temporary work visas and then claimed asylum.
Canada’s lax visa policies drive surge in claims
Canada’s system doesn’t allow for claims to be automatically dismissed based on where the claimant is coming from, we need to treat all claims the same until the hearing.
That’s why in 2025 we had close to 500 Americans declare asylum in Canada. Don’t think it’s all Donald Trump — we had 328 American cases pending at the end of 2024 during the Joe Biden era, but regardless of who is president, we shouldn’t treat American asylum claims as serious.
Same with the 12,891 claims from Mexico in 2024, a number that dropped to just over 4,000 when visa requirements were reinstated.
We had 32,563 Indian nationals declare asylum in Canada in 2024, and at the end of 2025 there is a backlog of roughly 44,000 asylum claims from India. That’s a small city of people from India, a fellow democracy with a growing economy, suddenly declaring asylum.
It didn’t used to be this way.
A decade ago, under the Stephen Harper government, there would be a few hundred Indian nationals per year claiming asylum. It grew to a few thousand a year and then spiked in 2023 as Indian nationals who had come to Canada on student and work visas began declaring asylum rather than go home.
Taxpayers foot the bill
There are real refugees in the world and that is why we have our refugee and asylum system. It is not meant to be abused by people who don’t want to be bothered following the usual immigration rules, yet too often, that is the case today.
And it is you, the taxpayer, who is footing the bill for this through programs like the Interim Federal Health Program, and others, that tens of thousands of people are now taking advantage of for their own benefit.
The Mark Carney Liberals are talking about tinkering with the program to reduce costs. They want to begin asking for a 30% co-pay for services such as dental care, eye care, and mental health services, programs many Canadians don’t get covered at all under their government plan.
Instead of tinkering at the edges, the smart thing to do would be to get the asylum program back on track and stop allowing tens of thousands of people to abuse it each year.
That’s a sure way to reduce costs and put faith back in the system.
blilley@postmedia.com
LILLEY: False asylum claims drive refugee health-care program toward $1B price tag
Refugee health costs near $1B, up from $60M a decade ago, as asylum claims hit records. Taxpayers foot the bill. Read more.
