Access to justice is key to increasing Canadians' confidence in their justice system. By improving the capacity of organizations to offer legal services in English and French across the country, the Government of Canada continues to fulfill its commitment to support official language minority communities.
Today, the Honourable Steven Guilbeault, Member of Parliament for Laurier-Sainte-Marie, on behalf of the Honourable Arif Virani, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, announced the allocation of $149,950 over two years (2024-2026) to support the Migrant Justice Clinic (MJC) in its delivery of legal services to precarious-status English-speaking migrants in Quebec.
The funding announced today, through the Access to Justice in Both Official Languages Support Fund, supports the "Tool kit to apply for permanent residence from within Canada on humanitarian and compassionate grounds" project. These funds support the MJC in carrying out various activities offered in English, including:
- information kit and workshops to help precarious-status migrants apply for permanent residence on humanitarian grounds;
- class for English-speaking university students pursuing a career in the field of justice, so that they develop the skills needed to assist applicants seeking permanent residence on humanitarian grounds.
By developing plain-language legal information tools and socio-legal support resources in English, the MJC will be able to respond to the needs of a vulnerable clientele whose language barrier presents an obstacle in their access to justice.
The MJC is a not-for-profit community legal clinic that advocates for the civil, political, and socio-economic rights of migrants living in precarious conditions by providing legal services and supporting various engagement activities.
