Although Montreal is a “sanctuary city” where immigrants with precarious status are protected from any deportation, it is still taking another step to be more inclusive and welcoming. Thanks to a pilot project launched in early 2023, hundreds of people have a “ fearless card “and allows them to access municipal services without having to provide proof of address.

It’s the day of the Fearless Card Clinic at Bureau Access Montréal (BAM) in the Ville-Marie district. There are still no crowds on this early September afternoon, but we are warned not to rely on this relative calm. “Sometimes there is a line all the way to the back,” emphasizes a BAM employee, pointing to the hallway.

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 who were awaiting an asylum application or who were undocumented have been able to receive this small plastic rectangle Access to various community services, be it libraries and their valuable internet connection, swimming pools or day camps.

“We had done it Focus groups with people without status and others, and we understood that, despite having a policy, they were afraid of going to a municipal office and being asked for an identity card if they did not have one,” explained Marie-France René, department head of the office for the Integration of Newcomers in Montreal (BINAM).

Since Médecins du Monde has previously been in contact with many of them through its mobile clinic, this responsibility fell to this organization. After issuing more than 3,000 “Fearless Cards,” the city’s partner organization passed the torch to BINAM in order to be able to focus again on its main mission, namely providing health care for people without status.

“It was important for us to make a first concrete gesture,” said Josefina Blanco, city councilor and member of the presidium. “And yes, the demand is there. We see it. » The city does not rule out opening more service points, but the initial challenge remains to make this service known.

A very real fear

“For these people, the fear of revealing their address is very real,” emphasizes Veronica Islas, director of the Carrefour de resources en interculturel (CRIC). This is even more true for undocumented people who live in fear of being denounced, found, and then deported when their whole lives – children, work, friends – are here. “All it takes is for there to be a harassment outside your house, the police to show up and start asking you questions and asking you about your identity. That’s the last thing you want. »

In addition, it is not recommended that people who own 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 a precarious status,” recognizes Marie-France René. “So depending on the officer and their level of knowledge about the cause, it can do more harm than good. »

Although the Coderre government adopted a declaration to this effect in 2017, Montreal ultimately did not become a “city of refuge.” This concept, which we see particularly in the United States, where cities have expanded powers in certain areas, allows an immigrant with precarious status to live without fear of being reported to migration authorities. But the powers given to the city of Montreal did not allow it to do the same, and immigrants were given a false sense of security, Valérie Plante argued after winning city hall.

However, in Toronto, the municipal freedom of information law prohibits the city from sharing personal information with another government except in very limited cases, including for police investigations. Since 2013, the Queen City has also had a policy on access to municipal services for undocumented people.

Filling needs

Behind the reception, a few families wait in a large, lighted 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 might help us enroll our little ones in school,” he says. “And what do we lose by asking? »

At the moment, many Latin Americans are coming to get their “fearlessness card,” notes Irais Fernandez, a CRIC social worker. “It’s a reflection of the immigration that’s going on right now,” she said. Then word of mouth takes effect.

Beyond the map, the needs are immense. “There is the work permit, the Frenchization, they want to find a job. They ask how the board works,” she says. People ask a lot for advice about their health. “They have so much on their minds that they are stressed. “You need help,” says M.^Me Fernandez.

Simon Berest L’Arvor, who speaks at the “Clinic” for the exhibition of the “Fearless Card”, agrees. He was specifically hired to address the needs of these people and direct them to the right resources. “The people who come to us haven’t really met anyone yet. They may have had contact with the IRCC [Immigration, Réfugiés, Citoyenneté Canada] but it was for papers. We meet you personally and determine your needs. »

A symbolic value

The symbolic value of the card is also appreciated. “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 that 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 the vaccination, said Josefina Blanco, representative of Projet Montréal. “It’s a map that could inspire other cities and even the Quebec government,” she said two weeks ago during public consultations on immigration planning.

Because for M^Me Blanco, there is no question of turning a blind eye to this reality. “If we maintain a situation of irregularity, we make the person even more vulnerable and ultimately more dependent on the state.” But if we give them rights and recognize them, that makes the person in a way more autonomous. We protect them. »

To watch in the video