
Refugees vs Pensioners: The Assistance Debate
Over the last year, an unfortunate email campaign has pitted pensioners
against refugees. The widely distributed email is based on an April
2004 letter to the editor of the Toronto Star which mistakenly claimed
that a single adult refugee receives over double the monthly benefit
of $1012 given to a single Canadian pensioner.
Nothing could be further from the truth. In Canada, a single refugee
adult receives about $600/month through the resettlement assistance
program (RAP). RAP offers initial support to refugees referred to
by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees for resettlement
in Canada.
Under RAP, refugees arriving in Canada receive very basic furniture
and household effects. The one-time start-up allowance also covers
winter clothing, as well as a loan for a rental deposit and telephone
hook-up. After this start-up allowance, government-assisted refugees
receive a monthly cheque which follows maximum prevailing social
assistance rates in each province. The national monthly average
for a single adult refugee is $600. Some provinces, like Nova Scotia
and Alberta, offer slightly more. Ontario, the province which receives
the largest number of refugees, offers only $580.
Refugees with no other source of income can receive the benefit
for up to a year while they learn English and look for work. Those
able to work are eager to do so as soon as they can.
All Canadians, old and new, deserve the income support they need
to meet basic needs and live with dignity. Let’s work for
justice for all, rather than pitting one vulnerable group against
another.
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