A group of lawyers is planning to file a lawsuit against the Quebec government in bid to give asylum seekers access to subsidized daycare.
Until April 2018, asylum seekers did have access to the province’s subsidized daycare system, but a rule change under the Couillard administration reversed that.
Sibel Ataogul, one of the lawyers, said on Wednesday that excluding asylum seekers is discriminatory towards women as many mothers must therefore stay home with their children and are unable to work.
In 2017-18 more than 52,000 people made requests for asylum in Quebec, including 15,000 under the age of 14.
The number of children under the age of five who would need daycare was not available.
“The law doesn’t allow the government, by regulation, to take away access or create these kinds of categories,” said Ataogul.
Quebec Families Minister Mathieu Lacombe said he’s open to once again granting the asylum seekers access to subsidized daycare but said much depends on talks with Ottawa regarding compensation for asylum seekers entering Quebec.
