ABSTRACT
This chapter provides a case study of how the Canadian Government's attack on asylum seekers was undemocratic. The Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA) is an Act of Parliament passed in 2002 which replaced the Immigration Act, 1976 as the primary federal legislation regulating immigration to Canada. Canada is a country of immigrants. In 2012, the Harper government issued an order-in-council to make changes to the Interim Federal Health Program (IFHP) for refugees, a service meant to address refugees' needs. In November 2014, the Harper government temporarily restored health care coverage to refugee claimants pending the outcome of its appeal of the Federal Court's ruling in 2012. The Harper government's violation of democratic free speech with respect to its arguments to the Federal Court provides an example of strategies and practices that are common in modern democratic states. Harper continues to promote a culture of fear of terrorists among Canadians by accentuating the probability of terrorist threats on Canadian soil.
