"On Saturday, a Saudi teenager fleeing domestic abuse was offered protection in Canada. However, why was Rahaf’s case prioritized over the other precarious-status or non-status women searching for a new Canadian life free from abuse?"

An article in the Toronto Star by Dr. Stephanie J. Silverman sheds light on how there are thousands of women and children who become undocumented or non-status in Canada after escaping domestic violence. Around 20,000 to 200,000 people in Canada do not have legal immigration papers and many of them in the same situation as Rahaf's. 

"The government is, at best, ignoring the claims and calls for protection for these women and their dependants and, at worst, potentially pushing them back to their abusers."

There is an upcoming learning event on undocumented Torontonians planned for Friday, February 15th (10am-12:30pm) at City Hall. The session is designed for City and community agency staff, health practitioners, and students interested in learning more about the vulnerabilities facing undocumented Torontonians. Registration is now open. 
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The "Open Dialogue on Vulnerability" event is collaboratively planned by the City's Specialized Program for Interdivisional Enhanced Response to Vulnerability (SPIDER), the Toronto Newcomer Office, and Toronto Public Health; the SPIDER team hosts these events monthly (more information on the series here).

We’re seeking support in organizing a National Day of Action for Healthcare for Migrants on Tuesday, February 12th at 12pm. As active members of Canada’s health community, we intend to hold our government accountable to the 180-day period designated by the UN to review national legislation, stop the denial of care to people based on immigration status, and provide justice to Nell Toussaint!

At this stage, we are looking to identify people in cities across the country who could help liaise with us in organizing an action. We will provide the materials and logistical support required for hosting the event, but need people on the ground to identify a location and spread the word. Please email healthcareformigrants@gmail.com if you or anyone you know in your city would be interested in working with us to support this action. 

So far, we’ve been blown away by the incredible national response from the health community to our open letter, with over 1500 individual and 80 organizational signatories in just two weeks and more pouring in! The campaign has also received widespread media coverage, including through CBC News, Toronto Star, Radio Canada International, and the Medical Post.  Now we need your support of our upcoming Cross-Canada Action to keep this momentum going.

-Health Care for Migrants

The Refugee Studies Centre at the University of Oxford is offering their International Summer School in Forced Migration from July 7 - July 19, 2019. The course offers an "interdisciplinary and participative approach to the study of forced migration. It enables people working with refugees and other forced migrants to reflect critically on the forces and institutions that dominate the world of the displaced."

The deadline for bursary applications is February 22, 2019 and for all other application is April 30, 2019.