Montréal – 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.
Steven Guilbeault, MP for Laurier—Sainte-Marie, on behalf of 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.
“The government proudly supports partners like the Migrant Justice Clinic, which help improve access to justice for official language minority communities in need of specific expertise and tailored support. Thanks to this project, migrants living in precarious conditions will be able to access legal support in the official language of their choice in the province of Quebec.” – Arif Virani, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada
“When organizations like the Migrant Justice Clinic get the support they need, they can make it easier for official language minority communities to access public legal education and information services. This funding makes it possible to offer English-speaking migrants access to a greater number of reliable resources and relevant information that are crucial to the pursuit and success of their legal endeavours.” – Steven Guilbeault, Member of Parliament for Laurier—Sainte-Marie and Minister of Environment and Climate Change