February 18, 2026
Hon. Lena Diab, P.C., M.P.
Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship
House of Commons
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, K1A 0A6
Re: Concerns regarding new co-payments under the Interim Federal Health Program
Dear Minister Diab:
The Canadian Association of Social Workers (CASW) represents 20,500 social workers across 10 provinces and territories. We are deeply concerned about the newly announced co-payments, effective May 1, 2026, under the Interim Federal Health Program (IFHP). Not only do these changes mean that some refugees and refugee claimants may experience significant health care crises, ultimately, this shift will not reduce costs.
Introducing co-payments delays access to preventative care and increases long-term health system costs when treatable conditions become emergencies. This policy will transfer substantial financial and administrative burden onto provincial systems, frontline practitioners and an already over-stretched non-profit sector. The cascading impacts will extend across health, justice, and social services sectors and will not generate savings.
Social workers witness daily the negative impacts that barriers to health care create for individuals, families and communities. Even small co-payments can deter access to necessary health and mental health services and are similar to IFHP cuts introduced in 2012 that were strongly opposed, and ultimately reversed, because they were harmful and ineffective. The evidence has not changed.
Canada offers a sanctuary to those fleeing persecution, particularly at a time when current conditions in the United States cannot provide safe recourse for many in desperate need of protection. CASW urges the federal government to reaffirm and strengthen its commitment to refugee protection. Measures that restrict access to health and safety must be rejected. Canada must continue to lead globally with fairness, compassion, and justice for people seeking refuge.
Respectfully,
Barb Whitenect, RSW
CASW President