CIMM - Impact on Operations: Refugee Resettlement - Dec 2, 2020

Key messages

• Refugee resettlement to Canada during the COVID-19 pandemic has been heavily restricted by Canadian border closures as well as travel restrictions imposed by other governments.
• Resettlement application processing abroad is delayed as migration offices have focused their capacity on other activities, such as family reunification. Processing is also hampered by restrictions on domestic movements abroad.
• The impact of COVID-19 on the operations of UNHCR and the International Organization for Migration, our key resettlement delivery partners, has also seriously limited our ability to resettle refugees. Despite these challenges, Canada has been able to uphold its humanitarian tradition and commitment to resettlement by receiving a limited number of resettled refugees who need our help the most, including urgent protection cases, and those with family already in Canada.
• As travel restrictions gradually ease, Canada is working with partners to facilitate the resettlement of refugees where conditions allow and where appropriate measures are in place to support them upon arrival.
• Before arranging travel, the Department confirms that service provider organizations and private sponsors are prepared to receive each refugee/newcomer. This includes assisting refugees in complying with the mandatory isolation or quarantine requirements set out by the Public Health Agency of Canada. For resettled refugees already in Canada, service provider organizations and private sponsors are focusing on delivering critical resettlement and settlement services, including income support and essential services, as well as counselling on COVID-19 measures.

Supplementary messages

Resumption of refugee resettlement

• Canada’s primary resettlement delivery partners – UNHCR and the International Organization for Migration – resumed limited resettlement movements in June 2020. Canada is working with these partners to facilitate the resettlement of refugees where the capacity and conditions can support such movements.
• COVID-19 has created significant challenges for Canada’s refugee resettlement program. Because of this, Canada will not meet its 2020 resettled refugee admissions targets. Despite these challenges, Canada has been able to uphold its humanitarian tradition and commitment to resettlement by continuing to receive a limited number of resettled refugees.
• The Department continues to work with international resettlement partners to assess country conditions, availability of flights and capacity to resume movements of resettled refugees. The International Organization for Migration is booking travel-ready cases that meet Canada’s travel exemption criteria.
• The Department is prioritizing cases where there are significant protection concerns, like refugees identified by UNHCR as being in urgent need of protection due to immediate threats to life, liberty, or physical well-being.
• Going forward, refugee resettlement will continue to increase both in numbers and locations as travel from more destinations becomes possible and the capacity of the overseas network increases.
• Ultimately, conditions to facilitate departures vary by country, and departures may not be possible due to various factors including, but not limited to, domestic movement restrictions, airport closures and flight availability in some countries.
• To meet the needs of government-assisted refugees on arrival in Canada, the Department has worked to ensure the ongoing delivery of critical Resettlement Assistance Program services, such as the provision of temporary accommodation and orientation services, while meeting public health requirements. In addition, government-assisted refugees and other vulnerable newcomers continue to be provided with settlement support via a case management approach, to build independence and gain access to services that facilitate their integration.

Health mitigation measures

• IRCC and its resettlement partners have implemented measures throughout the resettlement continuum to protect the health and safety of refugees and Canadians by ensuring compliance with Canada’s COVID-19 guidelines.
• The Interim Federal Health Program is covering a suite of COVID-related health measures as part of the Program’s outbreak management and control activities of pre-departure medical services.
• The pre-departure medical service measures are provided by the International Organization for Migration to all travel-ready refugees destined to Canada, including:
  • pre-embarkation health checks, including health screening for COVID-19 for signs and symptoms on the day of departure;
  • provision of non-medical masks and hand sanitizer;
  • COVID-related counselling and information;  
  • COVID-19 testing ONLY IF it is an airline or country exit requirement;  
  • and isolation/quarantine at the point of departure for those who meet defined criteria (e.g. display symptoms, or test positive for COVID-19 prior to departure).
• All travelers, including resettled refugees, arriving in Canada must undergo a health screening at the port of entry and present a credible quarantine plan when asked by a Border Services Officer or a Public Health Quarantine Officer.
• Also, when entering, all travelers, including refugees:
  • are asked if they are displaying any COVID-19 symptoms;
  • must acknowledge the requirement to quarantine or isolate for 14 days;
  • must confirm if they have a suitable place to isolate or quarantine with access to basic necessities;
  • must confirm that they will not have contact with certain vulnerable profiles of persons, including individuals with pre-existing or vulnerable health conditions; and
  • that they will not be in a group or community living arrangement.
• IRCC is coordinating closely with service provider organizations and private sponsors to ensure that sufficient capacity is available in Canada to receive and support refugees arriving through the resettlement program.

Responsive:

• Thus far, there have been 11 known COVID-19 positive cases (6 families) among government-assisted refugees arriving in Canada, representing 0.4% of government-assisted refugee arrivals since March 2020. Public health guidelines were followed appropriately with respect to quarantine and self-isolation requirements, and there was no further onward transmission.
• The Public Health Agency of Canada or the Canada Border Services Agency may contact service provider organizations throughout the 14-day quarantine period to follow up and ensure that quarantine requirements are being followed, or to follow contact tracing procedures.
• Questions regarding testing of all individuals at airports upon arrival, including refugees, should be referred to the Public Health Agency of Canada or the Canada Border Services Agency.

Comparison to M5 responses:

• The Department consulted the International Organization for Migration on measures that have been put in place by other resettlement countries to assess whether there were additional measures that Canada could consider implementing.
• The Organization confirmed that Canada has robust measures in place and there are no additional measures that other countries have put in place that Canada could adopt.
• [Redacted]
• Canada, Australia and New Zealand require a 14-day quarantine/isolation upon arrival for all travelers. The United Kingdom requires this only for countries designated red/high-risk. New Zealand is currently testing arrivals on days 3 and 12, while they are in quarantine.

Responsive:

• Stakeholders called on Canada to continue resettlement, and Canada has been praised for continuing to provide protection to vulnerable refugees throughout the pandemic. The Department only resumed resettlement admissions once conditions allowed, both with resettlement partners abroad and once conditions were safe to support refugees on arrival in Canada. This ensured the safety of both refugees and Canadians alike.

Supporting facts and figures

• As of October 29, 2020, 2,879 resettled refugees have landed in Canada since March 18, 2020.
  • Privately sponsored refugees: 1603 persons
  • Government-assisted refugees: 1262 persons
  • Blended Visa Office-Referred refugees: 14 persons
• As of October 29, 2020, 40 resettled refugees have landed in Canada under the Urgent Protection Program since March 18, 2020.

  Canada-Admissions of Permanent Residents as Resettled Refugees by Immigration Category, January-October 30, 2020

  Immigration Category	Jan-Oct 2020
  Blended Sponsorship Refugee	31
  Government-Assisted Refugee	3,035
  Privately Sponsored Refugee	4,108
  Total	7,174

• 2019 resettlement admissions: 9,958 government-assisted refugees, 19,149 privately sponsored refugees, and 980 Blended Visa Office-Referred refugees were admitted to Canada. [Combined total: 30,087]

  Resettled Refugee Historical Inventory^{Footnote *} in Persons as of October 30, 2020

  Refugee Category	Total Person Count
  Blended Visa Office-Referred	108
  Government-assisted refugees	21,913
  Privately sponsored refugees	51,513
  Overall - Total	73,534

• 2021-2023 Levels Plan:

  	2021			2022			2023
  Category	Target	Low Range	High Range	Target	Low Range	High Range	Target	Low Range	High Range
  GARs	12,500	7,500	13,000	12,500	7,500	13,000	12,500	8,400	13,000
  PSRs	22,500	14,900	23,000	22,500	15,400	23,000	22,500	15,500	23,000
  BVORs	1,000	100	1,000	1,000	100	1,000	1,000	100	1,000
  Total	36,000	22,500	37,000	36,000	23,000	37,000	36,000	24,000	37,000

Background

Impact of COVID-19 on refugee resettlement to Canada

• In early March 2020, the Government of Canada implemented a number of temporary measures, including travel restrictions, to protect the health and safety of Canadians and reduce the spread of COVID-19.
• On March 17, 2020, Canada’s primary overseas partners in administering refugee resettlement operations, UNHCR and the International Organization for Migration, also announced the temporary suspension of resettlement activities for refugees.
• Exemptions to air travel restrictions were announced on March 21, 2020. Under these exemptions, only refugees abroad whose Canadian travel documents were provided on or before March 18, 2020, refugees who are in need of immediate protection, and refugees with immediate family members in Canada, could potentially travel to Canada.
• Practical challenges such as limited international flights and ongoing travel restrictions globally continued to restrict Canada’s ability to resettle refugees, including individuals exempt from the air travel restrictions.
• On June 18, 2020, UNHCR and the International Organization for Migration announced the resumption of resettlement departures.
• Since then, with the easing of global travel restrictions and the additional capacity of partners abroad, IRCC has begun resuming travel for some refugees. Canada has been able to resettle refugees out of most countries where IRCC and partner capacity as well as conditions, including in Canada, can support such movements.
• Canada has focused its efforts on resettling refugees exempt from Canada’s air travel restrictions, as well as cases in urgent need of protection.
• Partners continue to advise IRCC of locations where travel is possible, while the International Organization for Migration is working to book travel ready cases that meet the exemption criteria on flights to Canada.
• Consultations are ongoing with resettlement delivery partners regarding the potential to open up travel for additional locations, and IRCC is working with corresponding migration offices abroad to ensure sufficient IRCC migration office capacity. Canada will also continue to consider on a case-by-case basis requests from UNHCR to resettle refugees in urgent need of protection.

Inventories, intake and admissions

• COVID-19 has created significant challenges for Canada’s refugee resettlement program. Because of this, Canada will not meet its 2020 resettled refugee admissions targets. Despite these challenges, Canada has been able to uphold its humanitarian tradition and commitment to resettlement by continuing to receive a limited number of resettled refugees.
• Going forward, refugee resettlement will continue to increase both in numbers and locations as travel from more destinations becomes possible and the capacity of the overseas network increases.
• In addition to those who have already arrived, IRCC anticipates that hundreds of refugees will be resettled to Canada between now and the end of the year from a variety of countries.

Comparison to M5 responses

• [Redacted]
• [Redacted]