Publication Topic : Immigration and Travel

Statement on the Federal Court’s Decision Regarding Public Interest Standing in the Medical Inadmissibility Challenge

We are deeply disappointed by the Federal Court’s decision dismissing the HIV Legal Network’s application (“motion”) for public interest standing in the constitutional challenge to Canada’s medical inadmissibility regime. In February 2024, the HIV Legal Network joined RA, an international student living with HIV, in challenging section 38(1)(c) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act … Read more

Submission to Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration Bill C-12: Strengthening Canada’s Immigration System and Borders Act

Bill C-12 will overhaul how people in Canada can access refugee protection or maintain lawful status by introducing new eligibility bars to refugee protection, broadening government discretion to end refugee claims, granting government sweeping new powers to cancel immigration status, and authorizing increased data-sharing of personal information across government agencies and with foreign governments. Submission … Read more

Hard Time Persists: Healthcare and Harm Reduction in Canada’s Prison System

In 2007, the HIV Legal Network (Legal Network) published Hard Time: HIV and Hepatitis C Prevention Programming for Prisoners in Canada, exploring health and harm reduction policies and practices in Canada’s provincial, territorial, and federal prisons. Then, as now, the Legal Network confirmed that everyone benefits from improved healthcare in prison, and that imprisonment is … Read more

2025 Election Candidate Questions – Response from the Bloc Québécois

On Friday, April 11, the HIV Legal Network wrote to the party leaders in the Canadian Federal election with key questions on their party’s positions on issues related to HIV, human rights, and the law.  Download the response from the Bloc Québécois, received on April 16, 2025 (French only):

2025 Election Candidate Questions – Response from the Green Party of Canada

On Friday, April 11, the HIV Legal Network wrote to the party leaders in the Canadian Federal election with key questions on their party’s positions on issues related to HIV, human rights, and the law.  Download the response from the Green Party of Canada, received on April 22, 2025:

Submission to the UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities: Review of Canada at 32nd Session (March 3-21, 2025)

The HIV Legal Network (“Legal Network”) made this submission to the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (“Committee”) in advance of its review of Canada’s periodic report, detailing our concerns about Canada’s implementation of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (“Convention”) with respect to the rights of people living with … Read more

HARD TIME PERSISTS: HEALTHCARE AND HARM REDUCTION IN IMMIGRATION DETENTION

Everyone — including people who have been detained — has a right to the highest attainable standard of health and to healthcare that is at least equivalent to that which is available in the community, whatever their immigration status. The current system — which allows for indefinite and punitive detention without comprehensive oversight — fails … Read more

Raising the Bar – 2023/2024 Annual Report

The creation of our annual report always gives us a unique opportunity to look back at a year’s worth of important work with hindsight, clarity, and pride. As you will see in Raising the Bar — our 2023/24 annual report — our successes and challenges don’t begin and end with the flip of a calendar … Read more