In being a “sanctuary city”, where immigrants with precarious status would be protected from any expulsion, Montreal nevertheless takes a further step to be more inclusive and welcoming. Thanks to a pilot project launched at the beginning of 2023, hundreds of people applied for and received a “fear-free card”, giving them access to municipal services without having to provide proof of address.
It’s “fearless card clinic” day at the Bureau Access Montréal (BAM) in the Ville-Marie borough. There are no crowds yet on this early September afternoon, but we are warned not to rely on this relative tranquility. “Sometimes there is a line all the way to the back,” points out a BAM employee, pointing to the corridor.
Since last January, as part of a pilot project resulting from the “Fearless Access Policy” adopted by the City of Montreal in 2019, more than 700 people with precarious status, awaiting an asylum application or undocumented, were able to obtain this small plastic rectangle giving them access to several municipal services, whether libraries and their precious Internet connection, swimming pools or day camps.
“We had made focus groups with people without status and others and we understood that, even with a policy, they were afraid of going to a municipal service and being asked for an identity card when they did not have one,” explained Marie -France René, section head of the Office for the Integration of Newcomers in Montreal (BINAM).
Until now, Médecins du monde being in contact with a large number of them through its mobile clinic, this responsibility fell to this organization. After having issued more than 3,000 “fearless cards”, the City’s partner organization passed the torch to BINAM to be able to refocus on its primary mission, which is to provide health care to those without status.
“For us, it was important to make a first concrete gesture,” said Josefina Blanco, city councilor and member of the executive committee. “And, yes, the demand is there. We see it. » The City does not rule out opening other service points, but first, the challenge remains to make this service known.
A very real fear
“For these people, the fear of giving their address is very real,” underlines Veronica Islas, director of the Carrefour de resources en interculturel (CRIC). Even more so for undocumented people, who live in fear of being denounced, located and then deported, when their whole life — children, work, friends — is here. “All it takes is for there to be a chicane in front of your house, the police show up and start asking you questions, asking you for your identity. That’s the last thing you want. »
Moreover, it is not recommended that people who hold it show it to the police to prove their identity. “It is certain that the card makes it possible to immediately identify those who are in precarious status,” recognizes Marie-France René. “So, depending on the officer and their level of awareness of the cause, it can cause more harm than good. »
Although the Coderre administration adopted a declaration to this effect in 2017, Montreal ultimately did not become a “sanctuary city”. This concept, which we see especially in the United States, where cities have increased powers in certain areas, allows an immigrant with precarious status to live without fear of being reported to the migration authorities. But the powers given to the City of Montreal did not allow it to do the same, and immigrants would have had a false sense of security, argued Valérie Plante, after winning the town hall.
In Toronto, however, the municipal Freedom of Information Act prevents the City from disclosing personal information to another government except in very limited circumstances, including for police investigations. Since 2013, the Queen City has also had a policy of access to municipal services for undocumented people.
Filling needs
Behind the reception desk, a few families are waiting in a large lit room. A Moroccan father, who wishes to remain anonymous, says he recently arrived in Quebec with his wife and children, to support his eldest son who is already studying. “The card is proof that will perhaps help us enroll our little ones in school,” he says. “And what do we lose by asking for it? »
For the moment, there are many Latin Americans who come to get their “fearless card,” notes Irais Fernandez, a CRIC social worker. “It reflects the immigration that is happening at the moment,” she said. Word of mouth then does its work.
Beyond the map, the needs are immense. “There is the work permit, francization, they want to find a job. They ask how the food bank works,” she says. People ask for a lot of advice about their health. “They have so much on their minds, they are stressed. They need help,” says M.me Fernandez.
Speaking at the “clinic” for issuing the “fearless card”, Simon Berest L’Arvor, agrees. He was specifically hired to target the needs of these people and direct them to the right resources. “The people who come to see us haven’t really met anyone yet. They may have had contact with IRCC [Immigration, Réfugiés, Citoyenneté Canada] but it was for papers. We meet them in person and identify their needs. »
A symbolic value
People also appreciate the symbolic value of the card. “They feel recognized, it’s something institutionalized. This may be the only identification document they will have. With the acronym of the City of Montreal and everything, wants, doesn’t want, it has weight,” continues Mr. Berest L’Arvor.
The card was even used during the pandemic so that these people had access to vaccination, rejoiced Projet Montréal representative Josefina Blanco. “It’s a map that could inspire other cities, and even the government of Quebec,” she declared two weeks ago, during public consultations on immigration planning.
Because for Mme Blanco, there is no question of turning a blind eye to this reality. “When we perpetuate a situation of irregularity, we make the person even more vulnerable and, ultimately, even more dependent on the State. But when we give them rights and we recognize them, in a certain way, it makes the person more autonomous. We are protecting her. »