Supreme Court confirms that asylum seekers are entitled to CPEs

The Supreme Court of Canada has ruled that Quebec discriminated against female refugee claimants by introducing regulations that denied them access to subsidized daycare spaces.

This marks the third ruling against the Quebec government on the matter.

In a decision today, the court says that blocking refugee claimants from subsidized daycare threatens to marginalize them from society.

The case originated with a woman from the Democratic Republic of Congo who applied for asylum and obtained a work permit.

The province subsequently denied access to Quebec’s heavily subsidized daycare network for the woman’s three children.

They were denied because Quebec’s rules provided access to the system only once refugee status was granted by the federal government.

Solidaire MNA Andrés Fontecilla, who is responsible for the Immigration file, reacted to the Supreme Court’s decision that confirms that the exclusion of asylum seekers from access to CPEs is discriminatory.

“We welcome this decision, it is the only one that is necessary to avoid putting people in even more precarious situations than they already are,” said Fontecilla. “We are talking about the well-being of children here and preventing the isolation of women, who are the main ones to bear this responsibility. CPEs are the perfect place for these children to learn French and fully integrate into Quebec society. It is also an important struggle to give these women the opportunity to work, especially in our public services. Cutting off access to CPEs for their children would have led to a significant loss of manpower.”

Spaces in the highly sought-after network cost roughly $9 a day.