​National Belonging and Health Outcomes of Non-Citizens in Canada

Partnered with Professor Y.Y. Chen, Faculty of Law, University of Ottawa, CCS received a Canadian Institute for Health Research (CIHR) Planning Grant in order to carry out research into the relationship between the national belonging and health outcomes of non-citizens in Canada. 

Non-citizen residents in Canada are a heterogeneous population, ranging from long-term migrants to stateless persons born and raised in the country. Studies show that non-citizens in Canada are vulnerable to ill health, and multiple factors likely contribute to this. Theorists have posited that non-citizens' compromised national belonging may be one of the factors leading to their health vulnerability. Building on this premise, this project undertakes a series of planning and dissemination activities aiming at carrying out research for a future study on the relationship between non-citizen residents' belonging in Canada and their health. 

​Findings from this study will enable policymakers and service providers to better understand non-citizens' health and well-being, and to identify appropriate health interventions for them.

We are excited to announce the publication of some of our findings in The Journal of Migration and Human Security. Our article "Health Care Experiences of Stateless People in Canada" can be accessed here.

This study examines how statelessness impacts physical health, mental health, access to health care services, and overall well-being. To answer these questions, we conducted semi-structured interviews with stateless or formerly stateless persons to understand their views and experiences.

The study reports on negative health outcomes in four broad areas:

• The limited ability of stateless persons (SPs) to access health care.
• Mental health challenges.
• The failure to treat health issues until they have reached a dangerous point and the reliance on self-care strategies.
• The negative impact of lack of status on four social determinants of health: employment, education, housing, and food security.

From these findings, the paper makes three arguments:

• Legal Status is a key determinant of health and lack of status leads to negative health outcomes.
• SPs heavily depend upon others for their life-needs, which can lead to exploitation and encourage forms of adaptive and negotiated agency.
• SPs in Canada experience a physical and mental liminality [a condition of uncertainty].

The paper concludes that Canada should recognize stateless individuals either as stateless or as Canadian nationals, and should implement a context-tailored institutional response to statelessness.

Photo by Martha Dominguez de Gouveia