TORONTO - Ottawa's cutbacks to health-care coverage for refugee claimants may leave some of them dependent on the charity of provincial officials, a judge said Thursday.

Justice Anne Mactavish raised the issue on the last day of a legal challenge launched by Canadian Doctors for Refugee Care and the Canadian Association of Refugee Lawyers.

The groups argue the changes announced 18 months ago are unlawful and inhumane, and want the court to strike them down.

Government lawyers say the new rules bring health benefits for newcomers in line with what other Canadians receive, and deter those who would abuse Canada's health-care system.

They have argued refugee claimants can still access health care through other programs, including those put in place by some provinces to reinstate access to essential and emergency care.

But though Alberta, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Nova Scotia, Quebec and Ontario have all taken steps to bridge the gap, not all offer the same level of coverage.

While Ontario has put forth a "coherent program," Mactavish said, Quebec offers assistance on an ad-hoc basis, which can leave refugee claimants dependent on the "whims" and "charity" of officials.

"Is that filling the gap?" the judge asked. And "is it humane to put people through that?"

Neeta Logsetty, one of the government lawyers, said many refugee claimants had also received donations from pharmaceutical companies and help from doctors, as well as provincial assistance.

Of those involved in the court case, "everyone got the treatment they required, at little or no cost," she told the judge.

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Health-care cuts for refugees challenged in court