The Halifax Refugee Clinic officially commenced operations on June 1, 2000. The Clinic provides no-cost legal, social, settlement and other services to people claiming refugee status in Nova Scotia who are unable to afford the services of private legal counsel. This, regretfully, includes most people claiming political asylum in Nova Scotia.

The Clinic was born out of the failure of both the federal and provincial governments to maintain funding to Nova Scotia Legal Aid to provide legal services to refugee claimants. Legal Aid service was discontinued a number of years ago. In the intervening years, many people appeared before the Immigration and Refugee Board without counsel, unable to understand the English language, not to mention the complex legal proceedings. Their applications and supportive material were shoddy at best and much of the hearing time was wasted sorting out poorly prepared paperwork instead of addressing the substantive issues related to the claimants' personal and political histories. Cases were lost and lives endangered solely because refugee claimants did not have an experienced representative to assist with their claim for political asylum.

The Clinic also acts as a liaison between the claimant and access to social services available in the Province. These services include housing, employment, medical and psychological needs, children's needs, women's needs, and the often prevalent physical and psychological scars inflicted from torture and other abuse. Prior to the establishment of The Halifax Refugee Clinic there was simply no other place in the Province where refugee claimants suffering from these various problems could turn. The Halifax Refugee Clinic was determined to change that.

Initially, the clinic operated much less formally out of homes, coffee shops and on the street. In January 2001, the Clinic opened a formal, albeit modest, office on Barrington Street in Halifax. The demand for refugee services exceeded expectations and in May 2002 the Clinic moved to it’s present location at 1568 Argyle Street, in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.

Presently, the Halifax Refugee Clinic is a registered non-profit association listed with the Nova Scotia Joint Stock Companies as a Society, and with the Federal Government of Canada as a registered charity.

The existence of a clinic of this nature speaks directly to the level of civility and compassion in our community. We are doing our absolute best to provide that compassion and service.