Mr. Speaker, the member for Scarborough—Rouge River is quite aware of the interim federal health fund. If not, I am happy to speak to the changes made by a prior government, the reasons those changes were made and the purpose of the interim federal health plan that still exists for those who come to this country seeking asylum.
The interim health fund actually began in 1957 to prepare those coming to this country, from an immigration perspective, to ensure that there was some form of health care for them as they transitioned and began their lives here in Canada. In the early seventies, the program was expanded when we began to take on our responsibility as a country for those in this world who were seeking asylum. They were fleeing their countries of origin because they may have been facing persecution or at the very least were in danger and were looking for an alternative place to call home. Canada was one of those countries that stepped up to the plate.
To this day, Canada resettles one in every 10 refugees in this world. When we think about that in terms of our size, in terms of the advancement we have made to assist these individuals and families who come to our country truly seeking refuge and who deserve to be designated refugees, we are more than doing our part.
Our doors have always been open. They continue to be open to immigrants and to genuine refugees, but Canadians have no tolerance for those who abuse the system and our generosity. The member lumps all those together in this file as if they are one group of individuals or families. That is simple not the case. We need to distinguish between refugees, asylum claimants and failed asylum claimants.
We have a system in which true refugees still receive interim federal health. They still receive assistance. It is on par with that of Canadians who do not have any type of additional assistance for health care, such as, for example, my mother, who is in her early seventies. She does not receive extended benefits. She does not have an extended pension. All those who fall under this category as refugees are at the very least able to receive the same services my mother enjoys. I do not know that all Canadians would actually see that as wrong. I think they would see that as fair. I certainly see that as fair.
When we look at those who have taken advantage of this system, those bogus asylum seekers who came to this country for no reason other than to take advantage of our social services and health care, they chose to go back to their countries of origin the day before they had the opportunity to stand in front of the Immigration and Refugee Board. They took somewhere up to a thousand days, in some cases.
We think Canada is a place for those who seek refuge and deserve it. They will receive interim federal health. I think my colleague understands that those individuals who are not truly refugees should not be taking advantage of the system.