Advocates, MNAs speak out after children of asylum seekers set to lose disability support

There are more than 300 children with disabilities in families seeking asylum in Quebec and as of next month, they will lose their monthly allowance.

Advocates say that could have serious consequences.

Aline, a single mother who arrived from Angola in 2022 as an asylum seeker, has a seven-year-old son who has autism and is non-verbal.

She says without the $413 a month from a provincial program for asylum seekers, she won’t be able to keep her son in school.

“I was in shock, then I was frustrated,” she recalled.

Province-wide, hundreds of families will be affected when the program ends on March 1.

Dr. Julie Nadeau-Lessard says for these families, there is no direct substitute.

“It might lead families to go to work instead of being able to attend medical appointments; because they have no choice, they have to be able to pay for housing or for food,” said Dr. Nadeau-Lessard, a pediatrician at the Multicultural Clinic at the Montreal Children’s Hospital.

She warns those trade-offs can delay care and hurt development.

“Often they’re coming from places where access to care was limited or delayed due to conflict and now we’re putting them at risk of additional delays, even in a society as rich as ours,” said Dr. Nadeau-Lessard.

Opposition MNAs are also speaking out.

“It’s the same government that gave the $7.5 million to the Los Angeles Kings. So when we’re talking about priority, the government here is totally wrong and it’s a shame,” said Andre Morin, the Quebec Liberal Party’s immigration critic.

“It is not asylum seekers creating a burden in our financial system, it’s the CAQ managing funds in an irresponsible way,” added Québec Solidaire’s Alejandra Zaga Mendez.

A Quebec health ministry spokesperson says the allowance was “not in line with the guidelines initially established” for the program, adding that no other province or territory offers a similar financial benefit.

Advocates, however, dispute that.

Louis-Philippe Jannard, a spokesperson for the Table de concertation des organismes au service des personnes réfugiées et immigrantes, said Ontario provides more than $600 a month.

As the deadline approaches, Aline is trying to move forward. She just completed her francization course and after a two-year court battle, she now has a work permit.