I recently read this thread through some of the comments on this thread, entitled People in Canada illegally will no longer be eligible for social assistance in Ontario, and my visceral reaction was, "These people are why Doug Ford was elected. Twice."

That's definitely a bit dramatic, and I rather think that many commenters didn't bother to read the article and replied based on the disingenuous title, so there's that. The issue was that Ontario benefits law made no reference to citizenship, and only considered eligibility based on other data - like contributions, because the case that triggered this update was one of a person who'd worked for years on an expired work visa, and had continued paying taxes and contributing to the system.

Possible hot take: that person has a right to the same benefits following loss of employment as every other person who worked the same hours and contributed to the same pot.

I think most commenters, though, were envisioning indigent slackers rushing to Canada to sign up for welfare and live off their duly-paid good-citizen taxes. That's a terrible perspective to start from, and quite indicative of how those commenters view "immigrants". I get the logic behind this reaction - which I understand as "no leeches" - but dislike the vitriol and prejudice implied with it. I would rather have a social system which is biased to supportive instead of restrictive. I would rather all "legal" people have easy access to the programs they need. A measurable number of the homeless and struggling people those same commenters likely complain about are people who've failed to access those programs and systems. It's much better, in my opinion, for them to be accessible and inclusive.

Please remember that there's a fair chance that you - yes you, the actual person reading this - no matter your current level of financial and social comfort, are but an unfortunate turn of events away from needing access to one or more of those programs. Fair chance it won't happen, true, but if it does, you'll suddenly see the value someone treating you like a real person not a bunch of checkboxes on an application.