Coronavirus: Canada to offer residency to asylum seekers on pandemic front lines
- Measure will apply to those who have helped directly care for the sick in a health clinic, nursing home or household, immigration minister says
- PM Justin Trudeau had promised in May to consider a regularisation programme for people doing ‘heroic work’ in midst of pandemic
Canada is to offer permanent residency to asylum seekers who put themselves at risk to care for coronavirus patients, Immigration Minister Marco Mendicino said on Friday.
They will be able to apply for residency for themselves and their families if they had submitted their application by March 2020, even if their demand had already been rejected.
The measure will apply to asylum seekers who have helped directly care for the sick in a health clinic, a nursing home or a household, Mendicino told a news conference.
“As these individuals face an uncertain future in Canada, the current circumstances merit exceptional measures, in recognition of their exceptional service during the pandemic,” Mendicino said.
“They put themselves at risk. And we are grateful for their service, for their sacrifice. And for their instinct to put the needs of community ahead of all else,” he said.