AFGH – Immigration and Refugee Board (IRB) – Refugee Claims from Afghanistan – April 25, 2022
Key messages
Since August 2021, the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada (IRB) has been taking measures to expedite all files relating to individuals from Afghanistan.
Since then, the IRB has received 509 new refugee claims and has finalized 418 claims. 88% of these claims have been accepted.
Due to streamlined processes for Afghanistan, these claims remain in our inventory for an average of 10 months. This is down significantly from 16.5 months in August 2021 and is much shorter than the overall IRB average age of 18 months.
Straightforward claims are often processed more quickly, and can take as little as approximately two months, including the required security screening, evidence gathering, and decision-making.
Decisions are made by independent adjudicators, in accordance with the law and based on the facts presented in each individual case.
Supplementary messages
Is the IRB prioritizing refugee claims for Afghanistan?
Under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, scheduling of files is informed by principles of fairness, efficiency, integrity, and institutional independence.
The IRB has identified Afghanistan claims for triage as part of the Task Force on Less Complex Claims (TFLCC). This means that the IRB is examining these claims, based on country conditions, to see if they can be resolved without a hearing.
Alternatively, claims may require a short hearing to interview claimants on one or two key determinative issues unable to be assessed based on the documents alone. No claim is denied without a hearing.
If there are more complicated questions of credibility or identity, these cases will not be addressed as a less complex claim and will proceed via the regular hearing process.
