Ottawa will relax the restrictions on immigrant applicants with disabilities and chronic health problems that have prevented many from immigrating to the country on the grounds of medical inadmissibility.

The change will be made as part of the government’s inclusive agenda. Advocates and critics say, however, they are disappointed the proposed changes fall short of a full repeal of the “excessive medical demand” clause, and that people with disabilities continue to be viewed as liabilities. A full repeal was recommended by a parliamentary immigration committee in a study released in December.

On Monday, federal Immigration Minister Ahmed Hussen announced that he will update the 40-year-old policy that bars prospective immigrants deemed medically inadmissible to Canada, with new criteria of medical demand for immigration assessment taking effect on June 1.

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Under current law, medical demand is found to be excessive if it exceeds the average annual health-care costs for a Canadian, which is estimated at $6,655. The proposed changes will raise the cost threshold for medical inadmissibility to three times that level, or $19,965, and remove references to special education, social and vocational services and personal support services needed by the applicants.

“This is better than nothing, but we don’t understand why there is still a cost threshold. Disability can happen to anyone, anywhere, anytime,” said James Hicks of the Council of Canadians With Disabilities, who was diagnosed with juvenile arthritis when he was 9.

“We do not agree to raising the bar so only the most disabled and vulnerable are not to be eligible to come to Canada. This just seems to be a bit of smoke and mirrors.”

In Ottawa, Hussen said the changes are part of the Liberal government’s mandate toward a more inclusive Canada.

The medical inadmissibility provision “was out of step with the values of Canadians. The changes we are announcing today are a major step forward in ensuring our immigration system is more inclusive of persons with disabilities, and reflect the values of Canadians,” he told the Star.

“The provision did not adequately account for the contributions made by the entire family just because a family member has a disability.”

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According to the immigration department, about 1,000 permanent and temporary resident applicants are found to be medically inadmissible every year on the ground of excessive demand on health care and social services. This represents only 0.2 per cent of all applicants who undergo medical screening. In 2015, the savings to provincial health care due to the medical immigration bar was 0.1 per cent of all publicly funded health spending in Canada, it said.

Amalia Loyzaga, who came to Canada in 2008 under the live-in caregiver program, has been notified by immigration officials that her permanent residence application would be denied because her daughter Apple has mild autism and could be deemed medically inadmissible.

Although she welcomed the changes to the law, the Toronto woman said Ottawa has not revealed what will happen to those applicants like her, who are already waiting in the queue, or to others challenging a negative decision before the court.

“My question is: when will full inclusiveness for people with disabilities take effect? When are they going to end our longtime wait and suffering being away from our family?” asked Loyzaga, a member of the Toronto Caregivers Action Centre, a grassroots advocacy group.

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“I hope they know that we are human beings like them who deserve to be treated as humans in our family aspect of life. With partial repeal, it means justice delayed, justice denied.”

MP Jenny Kwan, the NDP’s immigration critic, said the new medical-cost threshold means some 25 per cent of the applicants with disabilities will continue to face discrimination by Canadian immigration.

“The new policy ignores the benefits the family unit brings to Canada with the same mindset that people with disabilities are a drain on the society,” she said. “This is still based on a cost-benefit analysis and there is no change to the policy on the benefit side.”

While more people living with HIV will now be eligible to overcome the medical inadmissibility bar, advocates said those who are taking complex treatment regimens or have other medical conditions in addition to HIV would still be inadmissible under the new criteria due to costs.

“What is truly needed is a full repeal of the deeply flawed and discriminatory excessive demand regime,” said Joshua Terry of the Canadian HIV/AIDS Legal Network. As the immigration minister himself said, this regime does not reflect Canadian values. It must end.”