An Order Paper response obtained by Conservative MP Dan Mazier shows that 15,219 asylum claimants with negative decisions from the Immigration and Refugee Board accessed supplemental health benefits through the Interim Federal Health Program in 2024-25. That's nearly eight times the 1,938 rejected claimants who received benefits in 2016-17.

The benefits extend well beyond emergency medical care. Rejected claimants received prescription drugs, dental care, vision care, mental health counselling, physiotherapy, assistive devices, and even home and long-term care services.

In 2024-25 alone, taxpayers spent more than $21.5 million on supplemental health benefits for rejected claimants. The largest category was prescription medications at $11.1 million, followed by urgent dental care at $6 million. Ottawa also spent nearly $600,000 on vision care, $1.27 million on mental health counselling, $388,000 on physiotherapy, $355,000 on assistive devices, and $1.7 million on home and long-term care.

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More than 11,500 rejected claimants received prescription drug coverage last year, while 4,817 received dental care, 3,109 received vision care, and 116 accessed home or long-term care services.

The figures include individuals whose refugee claims were rejected but who may still be pursuing appeals or other legal recourse. However, the numbers raise fresh questions about the government's ability to enforce removal orders.

The federal government has repeatedly acknowledged a growing backlog of failed asylum claimants awaiting deportation. Yet while immigration authorities often claim difficulty locating individuals subject to removal orders, the same government is continuing to provide healthcare services ranging from physiotherapy appointments to home care visits.

The data also show that some rejected claimants received supplemental benefits without accessing any other category of federal health coverage. In 2024-25, 43 rejected claimants received supplemental health services alone.