Supreme Court rules Quebec asylum seekers eligible for subsidized daycare

08-Mar-2026

.

The Supreme Court of Canada has ruled Quebec cannot bar asylum seekers from subsidized daycare.

In an 8-1 ruling handed down on March 6, the Supreme Court rejected the province's appeal of a lower court's ruling.

Supreme Court Justice Andromache Karakatsanis concluded the province's regulations on subsidized daycare, which date back to the previous Couillard government, discriminate against women refugee claimants and infringes on their Charter rights.

"While all refugee claimants are denied access to subsidized daycare ... the discriminatory impact on women is unique because they carry a greater share of child-care responsibilities," the ruling states.

It goes on to say barring refugee claimants from accessing the daycares not only impedes their ability to work, but further marginalizes them from Quebec society.

This also has a cost on the province, the Supreme Court argues, as it forces many to rely on social assistance instead.