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Towards public access and inclusion for non-status migrant residents: Research from Social Planning Toronto

The movement of peoples across borders has constituted a popular but also a contentious policy issue, with some proponents of borderless “nations” and many more supporters of a tighter immigration system. In spite of the ongoing debate on this issue, people continue to move, on legal grounds as well as “illegal” ones, with varied experiences based on race, birthplace, migration course, family composition, gender, and ability (Dunn, 2010). When a person migrates to Canada on “lawful” terms and remains within the confines of law, access to basic necessities (e.g. affordable housing, public healthcare, emergency and social services, and education for themselves and/or their children) is, for the most part, relatively simple. However, if one’s immigration status is illegalized by systemic processes, or one is undocumented upon arrival, he or she is precluded from accessing such resources without significant challenges. Newcomer communities are often segmented into categories of those “deserving” and those “undeserving” of public assistance. Typically, non-status migrants are positioned as undeserving by default, further entrenching their marginalization and limiting their capacity to participate in political, social, economic, and cultural life (Galabuzi, 2006). The exclusion from services and society overall is compounded by government policies that dictate which groups are able to gain immigration status. Canada’s immigration policy has always created restrictions to full or permanent status for racialized migrants – groups already predisposed to systemic discrimination and economic marginalization (Canadian Council for Refugees [CCR], 2000). When such policies are implemented into practice on the ground, they reinforce border control mechanisms and position front-line workers as de facto immigration enforcers. This is problematic not only on an individual level but also for municipalities, as such restricted accessibility means that people have difficulty receiving health care, education, employment, housing, and emergency services. As a result, city services become overloaded, public health is placed at risk, and overall poverty and homelessness rates increase.