Ottawa, ON – The Hon. Michelle Rempel Garner, Conservative Shadow Minister for Immigration, and Dan Mazier, Conservative Shadow Minister for Health, issued the following statement in response to a new Parliamentary Budget Officer (PBO) report on the Interim Federal Health Program (IFHP):

“The IHFP was initially established to provide urgent, short-term, temporary healthcare for truly vulnerable refugees. Now, the PBO has laid bare that after years of Liberal mismanagement of our asylum system, what was once a temporary program has turned into a multi-year taxpayer-funded entitlement where tens of thousands of bogus asylum claimants are provided health benefits that Canadians are not eligible for. 

“The PBO further confirmed that the costs of the program have grown out of control and that the Liberal government’s weak half-measures have not fixed anything. The report shows that things are only going to get worse, finding that while six million Canadians don’t have access to a family doctor, under the Liberals:

  • The annual cost of the IHFP has ballooned to $822 million (in 2024-25) and continues to sharply rise, fueled by record asylum claims and backlogs created under years of Liberal open-border policies;
  • Instead of being deported, nearly 74,000 failed asylum claimants are still accessing generous IFHP coverage for years through endless appeals and delays;
  • Nearly 50 per cent of claimants who had their claims invalidated remained in the system for more than three years following that decision, and instead of being deported, were allowed to collect luxury benefits Canadians don’t have access to; 
  • Counselling services have skyrocketed from less than 1 per cent of the program to 11 per cent, costing taxpayers over $38.7 million last year, while home health visits cost over $12.2 million. The program continues to balloon in cost because over 300,000 asylum claims remain pending – five times higher than in 2021 – with 65 per cent stuck in the system for more than a year;
  • Dental costs under the IHFP skyrocketed from $30 million to $257 million in just five years;
  • Liberal backlogs and slow processing add up to $72 million in extra annual costs for each additional month of delay; and
  • Asylum claimants now cost 80% more per person than genuine resettled refugees due to the years that it takes to process a claim and deport bogus claimants.

“Even if the Liberals collect all their proposed co-payments – something which isn’t likely to happen – and if the immigration provisions in Bill C-12’s aren’t challenged in court – which experts warn they will be – the report outlines that the overall cost of the program will continue to balloon each year, costing taxpayers hundreds upon hundreds of millions of dollars.

“The Liberals must explain to Canadians why asylum seekers who have had their refugee claims rejected, are facing enforceable removal orders, and in some cases fail to appear for removal, continue to receive deluxe, taxpayer-funded health benefits while they avoid leaving Canada.

“Liberals voted against a Conservative motion to end this insanity and restrict access to health benefits for failed asylum claimants to emergency, life-saving care only. They also voted against multiple Conservative proposals to prevent the asylum system from being abused.

“Conservatives will restore Canada’s immigration system, ensure healthcare capacity is available before setting immigration levels, and end taxpayer-funded deluxe health benefits for failed asylum claimants who have been told to leave Canada.

“It’s time for the Liberals to adopt our common sense proposals so we can restore order to Canada’s broken immigration system.”

Key Quotes from the Report:

“As of February 2026, approximately 74,000 “failed refugee claimants”, defined as individuals who made a claim for refugee protection in Canada and did not obtain protection, were in the CBSA removals inventory. Failed refugee claimants may remain eligible for IFHP coverage while their cases are being assessed through ongoing immigration or risk-related processes (e.g.,PRRA), and in some cases until their departure from Canada. Together, these factors substantially lengthen IFHP eligibility for a significant share of unsuccessful claimants. (page 2,3)

“The average duration of IFHP coverage for asylum claimants was roughly four years in 2024-25, up from three years in 2021-22.” (page 8)

“Nearly 50 per cent of claimants whose refugee claims were initiated in 2019 remained in the removals inventory for more than three years following a negative decision”. (page 17)

“Nearly 50 per cent of claimants who ultimately received a negative decision from the IRB in 2019 remained in the system for more than three years following that decision. (page 2)

“…spending on counselling services saw an increase from less than one percent of total supplementary spending in 2016 to 11 per cent in 2025.” (page 10)

Counselling Costs for “Asylum Seekers and Others” (2024-25): $38.79 million
Home Visits Costs for “Asylum Seekers and Others” (2024-25): $12.41 million (page 28)