The City of Toronto is facing a proposed class-action lawsuit that accuses it of violating the Charter rights of refugee claimants by denying them access to shelter beds for nearly a year. The suit, filed on behalf of refugees, asylum seekers, and claimants who were refused shelter between November 7, 2022, and October 1, 2023, alleges systemic neglect and discrimination by the city’s shelter system.
According to the claim, Toronto suspended refugee claimants’ access to its base shelter system during that period, directing them instead to federal agencies like Service Canada or Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada — agencies the suit argues were unequipped to provide immediate housing support.
The proposed lawsuit also claims the policy disproportionately harmed Black refugee claimants, many of whom came from predominantly Black nations, adding a racial discrimination element to the alleged violation of fundamental rights.
The legal action, which must be certified by a judge before moving forward, has drawn attention to what advocates call a growing humanitarian crisis in Canada’s largest city. City spokesperson Elise von Scheel declined to comment on the specifics of the case, stating only that Toronto will respond “in due course” as the matter proceeds through the courts.