We live in an interconnected world, and events transpiring worldwide ultimately affects Canadians, whether we are speaking about economic trade, global prices of goods and commodities, knowledge and skills exchange, effects of climate change, disease transmission and control, natural disaster management, and others. Fulfilling our international obligations protects and serves the interests of Canadians.
People fleeing war, persecution or natural disasters face tremendous barriers to obtaining necessary travel documents. For this reason, I have been advocating for visa-free travel for urgent, life-and-death situations such as the war in Ukraine. I have also been advocating for the government to rescind the safe third country agreement because often, refugees cannot get to safety without first going to a third country. It is paramount that Canada has an adequately resourced immigration system that can act with flexibility and expediency in times of crisis without compromising national security standards.
As your Member of Parliament, I will fight to ensure Canada fulfills its humanitarian and environmental obligations as a member of the international community.
On Parliament Hill in Ottawa, NDP MP Jenny Kwan and health-care professionals from across the country speak out against changes to a government program that covers health-care costs for refugees. Starting May 1, recipients under the Interim Federal Health Program will be required to pay a $4 fee for prescription medications and a 30 per cent co-payment for other services, like dental and vision care.
Kwan is joined by Manal Badi (family physician), Charles Hui (pediatric infectious disease specialist), Edward Xie (emergency room physician), Vanessa Reddit (family physician), Ilda Azzam (social worker and psychotherapist), and Nazila Bettache (internal medicine specialist). (April 22, 2026)
