The Alex Pierson Show Why do Asylum seekers get better health care than tax payers? Michele Rempel joins Alex on the topic.
Feb 24, 2026
Michele Rempel-Garner, Conservative MP and immigration committee vice chair, offers a short, direct take on asylum and immigration policy. She discusses how asylum health benefits expanded, why rejected claimants sometimes still receive care, and proposed rule changes to limit incentives and restore fairness. The conversation highlights policy origins, practical removal challenges, and calls for transparent data.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Asylum Health Coverage Ballooned In Cost
- Asylum health coverage has expanded far beyond its original intent to support a small number of legitimate refugees.
- Michele Rempel-Garner says costs rose from $211M in 2020 to nearly $900M in 2024 and could hit $1.5B by 2028 due to bogus claims and long processing times.
Rejected Claimants Still Get Premium Care
- People with failed asylum claims can still receive premium supplemental health benefits while they wait for removal.
- Rempel-Garner argues that rejected claimants often wait years and remain eligible for routine dental, vision, therapy and prescription coverage Canadians lack.
Policy Change Framed As Restoring Fairness
- Conservatives frame benefit changes as a tool to reduce incentives to abuse the asylum system.
- Rempel-Garner says removing premium coverage for invalid claimants would restore fairness and help enforce removals under the law.