Hamiltonians For Migrant And Refugee Health HMRH: HMRH

Katie Dorman Dept: Healthcare providers and students from Hamiltonians for Migrant and Refugee Health HMRH are condemning the announcement that countries including Mexico and Japan have been added to the list of Designated Countries of Origin DCO a list of "safe" countries whose refugee claimants have a streamlined process to prove they have genuine need for asylum, according to CBC. "The negative impact of the DCO list has already been felt in the healthcare community," said Katie Dorman, a medical student and member of HMRH. "Volunteer health clinics seeing refugees have been overwhelmed with patients since the list came into effect, and the addition of countries means that increasingly there will be people living in our community without access to essential health services." Thursday s announcement by Immigration Minister Jason Kenney that eight foreign countries have been added to a list of safe places has drawn the ire of a Hamilton healthcare special interest group. The HMRH says this move leaves increasing numbers of refugee claimants without access to emergency or preventative healthcare. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.