For some people living in Kingston, fear of deportation or immigration detention can stop them from seeking emergency services, reporting violence or accessing other support when they need it most.
KCHC has joined KEYS, ACFOMI and Kingston Literacy & Skills in launching the Welcoming Agencies Declaration to strengthen trust and reduce barriers to accessing services for people with irregular immigration status, sometimes referred to as undocumented.
Organizations that sign the Declaration commit to ensuring that people can safely access their services without fear that their service provider will voluntarily report them for immigration detention or deportation.
The Welcoming Agencies Declaration comes at a time when recent policy and process changes have increased uncertainty for many newcomers.
In 2025, Canada deported 23,160 people, the highest in Canada’s history. Only 4 per cent of deportations were related to criminality, while most were related to non-compliance as refugee claimants. Canada has an immigration detention program that allows for the detention of children and infants and is one of the few countries in the Global North that places no legal limit on how long a person can be held in immigration detention.
Recent changes have also made it more difficult for some people to access refugee protection in Canada. The expansion of the Safe Third Country Agreement means that most people who travel through the United States are ineligible to make a refugee claim in Canada. Bill C-12 also prevents people from accessing a refugee hearing if they make a refugee claim more than one year after arriving in Canada. As a result, some people may be left without a pathway to refugee protection despite facing real risk.
“The Welcoming Agencies Declaration is based on the belief that everyone, regardless of immigration status, should be able to access essential services without fear,” said KCHC Director of Community Health Wendy Vuyk. “These are people who are already part of our community. They are our neighbours, friends, classmates and community members. Through this Declaration, we want them to know there are places where they can safely seek support.”
Learn more about the Welcoming Agencies Declaration by clicking the button below.