CIMM – Refugees and Resettlement – March 3, 2022

Key Messages

• Canada has a proud humanitarian tradition and commitment to protecting the world’s most vulnerable people. 
• Through our Refugee Resettlement Program, Canada provides protection to overseas refugees typically located in countries of asylum. In 2019, Canada resettled more than 30,000 refugees and was the world’s top refugee resettlement country for the second year in a row.
• Refugee resettlement to Canada during the COVID-19 pandemic has been limited by many factors. Resettlement processing now continues in all IRCC Migration Offices and we resettled over 9,000 refugees in 2020 and more than 20,000 in 2021.
• We are working with our partners to protect the health and safety of resettled refugees both pre- and post-arrival, in compliance with COVID-19 guidelines.
• To address the plight of human rights defenders specifically, we have introduced a dedicated refugee stream for human rights defenders at risk.
• My mandate letter includes a commitment to welcome up to 40,000 Afghan refugees to Canada. We are working hard to implement this plan while continuing to resettle other refugee populations.
• We are also working to strengthen Canada’s response to the Venezuelan refugee and migrant crisis, including by providing capacity building assistance to host communities in the region.

Supplementary Messages

• Canada’s Refugee Resettlement Program, founded on the 1951 Refugee Convention, allows persons in need of permanent protection to resettle to Canada.
• Refugees are either referred to Canada by designated partner organizations, such as the United Nations Refugee Agency, or identified by a private sponsor. They are then assessed by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) migration officers abroad.
• Refugees who face immediate risks may be resettled under Canada’s Urgent Protection Program. This program provides expedited resettlement to refugees whose life, liberty or safety is threatened.
• Upon arrival to Canada, refugees become permanent residents and will, after a period of time, be eligible to apply for Canadian citizenship.

Refugee resettlement during COVID-19

• COVID-19 border restrictions impacted resettlement arrivals. When Canada first put in place border restrictions in March 2020, only foreign nationals whose applications for permanent residence were approved and who received written notice of the approval prior to March 18, 2020, were permitted to enter Canada, provided they were entering for a purpose that is non-optional and non-discretionary.
• Resettlement arrivals increased after June 21, 2021, when the border restrictions changes and permitted all foreign nationals holding an approved Confirmation of Permanent Residence (COPR) to enter Canada for the purposes of settling permanently, regardless of the date on which their permanent residence was approved.
• While these border restrictions were in place, the Department continued to resettle refugees needing urgent protection and issued National Interest Exemptions on a case-by-case basis to facilitate the entry of resettled refugees in urgent cases where they were travelling to Canada on temporary resident permits for expediency and their COPRs were issued after arrival in Canada.
• As of November 21, 2021, foreign nationals who have been issued temporary resident permits and who seek to enter Canada as a protected temporary resident under the protected temporary resident refugee class are exempt from the prohibition on entry for unvaccinated individuals.
• In addition, in urgent cases such as the evacuation from Afghanistan, facilitation measures are in place to exempt evacuated foreign nationals on board a conveyance organized by the Government of Canada from certain public health measures in exigent circumstances.
• Resettlement processing continues in all IRCC Migration Offices, including the issuance of new permanent resident visas. Nevertheless, the situation caused by the pandemic remains unpredictable, with the conditions to facilitate departure varying by country. In this regard, departures may be delayed or may not be possible due to various factors including, but not limited to:
  • domestic movement restrictions in the country where the refugees are located;
  • airport closures;
  • flight availability;
  • capacity of host countries to issue exit authorization (where required);
  • capacity of private sponsors to accept sponsored refugees while meeting public health requirements; and
  • capacity of service provider organizations to welcome government-assisted refugees due to COVID-related operational concerns.
• IRCC is actively working with the International Organization for Migration to book travel for resettlement cases where possible, while ensuring Canada’s public health restrictions are followed and appropriate supports are in place for refugees upon arrival in Canada.

Human rights defenders

• Human rights defenders are people who work peacefully to promote and protect human rights, including our fundamental freedoms.
• My mandate letter includes a commitment to expand the new immigration stream for human rights defenders and work with civil society groups to provide resettlement opportunities for people under threat.
• We have introduced a new stream for human rights defenders at risk that will see the resettlement of up to 250 people each year (human rights defenders and their family members). The stream was carefully designed so as to best reach the people who need it the most and who face heightened risk.
• To give action to Canada’s international humanitarian commitments, these human rights defenders will be resettled as government-assisted refugees.
• This stream is additional to our existing refugee resettlement commitments.

Economic pathways for refugees

• As of December 2021, Canada is accepting applications to Phase II of the Economic Mobility Pathways Pilot and will be welcoming 500 principal applicants and their family members, bringing skilled refugees from abroad who could help to fill labour shortages in in-demand sectors such as healthcare.
• Over and above Canada’s refugee resettlement programs, the Economic Mobility Pathways Pilot supports refugees with in-demand skills with facilitation measures to access existing economic immigration pathways mitigating administrative barriers that refugees typically face.
• Through the Economic Mobility Pathways Pilot, Canada is introducing an innovative approach to provide both protection to skilled refugees and also help them make meaningful economic contributions to their new home, with minimal disruption to existing economic immigration pathways.
• Building on this innovation, Canada is demonstrating global leadership on refugee labour mobility as the first state chair of the Global Task Force on Refugee Labour Mobility, which will showcase lessons learned and best practices, and provide an opportunity to contribute to building global capacity for refugee labour mobility. The Task Force is set to officially launch in early 2022.
• Canada ensures that our complementary pathways are both additional to refugee resettlement spaces, and provide pathways to permanent protection, affording dignity and empowerment, while continuing to level the playing field by minimizing challenges of access to non-humanitarian immigration programs.

Response to the Venezuelan migrant and refugee crisis

• As of January 2022, more than six million Venezuelan refugees and migrants have fled Venezuela, making it the largest displacement crisis in the hemisphere, and the second largest globally after Syria.
• Over 80% of those who have left Venezuela remain in the Latin American and Caribbean region, largely in neighbouring countries. Significant efforts have been made by host countries to integrate Venezuelan refugees and migrants into communities, which has also placed significant socio-economic strains on these countries.
• Together with Global Affairs Canada (GAC), IRCC will be providing funding to support host countries in the region. More specifically, IRCC is seeking $1.4M in 2021-2022 and $2.4M in 2022-2023 in capacity building assistance to address the migration and protection needs of Venezuelan refugees and migrants, for example by supporting labour market integration and also to help mitigate further irregular migration in the region.
• IRCC organized a virtual conference on migration health with the Regional Conference on Migration in October 2021 and is planning a migration health workshop in Costa Rica tentatively scheduled for July 2022, both with participation from countries of South, Central and North America, the Caribbean, and international organizations. One of the drivers and key agenda items of both events is the exchange of information and lessons learned regarding health in mass irregular movements, with the Venezuelan exodus being a focus of the presentations and discussions.

Yazidi

• As announced in March 2021, Canada will be resettling up to 250 extended family members for Survivors of Daesh currently in Canada to support family reunification.
• Refugees will either be privately sponsored or referred to Canada for resettlement by the United Nations Refugee Agency. They will receive full settlement services, income supports, pre-departure medical services, and Interim Federal Health Program (IFHP) coverage upon arrival in Canada.
• Since 2017, Canada has resettled over 1,418 Survivors of Daesh in response to atrocities committed by Daesh, in particular against women and children in Northern Iraq. A large majority of the resettled survivors are Yazidis, who were subjected to genocide, including execution, forced conversion, torture and rape.

Afghan Sikhs and Hindus

• Within Afghanistan, there are minority Sikh and Hindu communities. Canada is aware of these communities and continues to support religious freedoms both at home and abroad, including in Afghanistan.
• The targeting and killing of men, women, and children based on their religious or ethnic identity represents a grave violation of human rights and an affront to human dignity that Canada categorically condemns.
• As part of the humanitarian commitment for Afghanistan announced on August 13, 2021, Canada will be expediting the resettlement of Afghan religious and ethnic minorities at risk, including Sikhs and Hindus, referred by designated referral partners and private sponsors.

Responsive lines if asked about designated referral partners:

• For instance, Canada has established a partnership with the Manmeet Singh Bhullar Foundation, which is also a sponsorship agreement holder, to support the resettlement of hundreds of persecuted Afghan Sikhs and Hindus through the Private Sponsorship of Refugees Program. 

Uyghurs & Hong Kong residents

• The Peoples’ Republic of China has been employing various strategies to persecute Uyghur and other Muslim groups living in Xinjiang, including mass detentions, forced labour, pervasive state surveillance and population control.
• At this time, Canada is not considering any‎ special measures for Uyghurs, but the Government of Canada continues to monitor the plight of Uyghurs and other Muslim minorities in Xinjiang .
• Canada continues to monitor the broader deteriorating human rights situation in Hong Kong, including the arrests of former lawmakers, district councillors and democracy activists under the National Security Law for Hong Kong that was passed on June 30, 2020.
• Canada’s announcement in November 2020 of special measures for Hong Kong residents, particularly students and youth, including an open work permit and two new pathways to permanent residence, was unprecedented in terms of providing a tailored and direct migration response. 
• Uyghurs and Hong Kong residents who are at risk of persecution and have fled to another country can currently access Canada’s protection through the Refugee Resettlement Program if they are referred by a designated referral organization such as the United Nations Refugee Agency or by Canadian private sponsors.
• Uyghur and Hong Kong human rights defenders that have fled persecution may also be eligible for resettlement to Canada under Canada’s  new human rights defenders stream.

Pre-arrival and post-arrival services

• IRCC and its resettlement partners have implemented measures to protect the health and safety of refugees and Canadians by ensuring compliance with Canada’s COVID-19 guidelines.
• Before arranging travel, IRCC confirms that service provider organizations and private sponsors are prepared to receive refugees and assist with mandatory isolation or quarantine requirements.
• IRCC also works closely with the International Organization for Migration to arrange travel, facilitate immigration medical exams, and deliver pre-embarkation health checks and other pre-departure medical services to all travel-ready refugees.
• Flights are arranged and immediate travel costs covered by the International Organization for Migration/IRCC. These costs are later recouped by IRCC via the Immigration Loans Program. Refugees have 12 months after admission before the first payment is due, and a repayment period of a minimum of three years (longer terms apply to larger loans).
• The International Organization for Migration also delivers Canadian Orientation Abroad sessions, which includes information on Canada’s COVID-19 health measures.
• After they land in Canada, resettled refugees are provided with support from service provider organizations, who coordinate the testing, vaccination, and quarantine of unvaccinated refugees.
• In general, on arrival in Canada, resettled refugees are provided immediate and essential services, either through the Resettlement Assistance Program offered by third-party service provider organizations or by private sponsors. These services include providing: temporary accommodation; start-up support; help finding permanent accommodation; income support; referrals to community programs; and other resettlement assistance as needed (clothing, food, childcare, etc.).
• Support can last up to one year from the date of arrival in Canada, or until the refugee is able to support themselves, whichever happens first. All refugees who are resettled to Canada can also access settlement program services. These include the following:
  • Information and orientation sessions
  • Referral to community resources
  • Translation and interpretation services
  • Language training
  • Job-related services

Interim Federal Health Program

• While in receipt of federal income support, resettled refugees also receive healthcare coverage under the IFHP.
• In light of the pandemic, IRCC has an agreement with the International Organization for Migration to deliver pre-departure medical services specific to COVID-19 for all refugees being resettled in Canada, including testing, vaccinations where available, pre-embarkation health checks, isolation services, as needed, and information on Canada’s public health measures. These outbreak management activities are in addition to routine pre-departure health services for refugees, including coverage of immigration medical exams, recommended vaccinations, and in-transit medical supports to facilitate safe travel.

Supporting Facts And Figures

Resettled refugee admissions

• Continued high program demand and pandemic-related travel restrictions have both contributed to significant growth in the privately sponsored refugee (PSR) application inventory in recent years.
• The PSR inventory currently sits at over 70,000 applications, with processing times approaching three years.
• There are currently 130 sponsorship agreement holders (SAHs) operating in Canada, up from 67 SAHs in 2012 and 99 SAHs in 2015.
• The application inventory for government-assisted and Blended Visa-Office Referred refugees is also increasing, which is currently sitting at over 42,000 applications, with processing times of over two years.
• In 2021, a total of 194 government-assisted refugees were admitted to Canada under the Urgent Protection Program.^{Footnote 1}
• Under the Order in Council titled Minimizing the Risk of Exposure to COVID-19 in Canada Order (Prohibition of Entry into Canada), the Minister of Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship, the Minister of Public Safety, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs have the authority to grant entry national interest exemptions (NIE) to persons whose presence in Canada is determined to be in the national interest. Individuals with an NIE are exempt from the travel restrictions.
• Each case is thoroughly analyzed to ensure there is a national interest to having a foreign national enter the country despite the COVID-19 travel restrictions in place.
• Since the beginning of the pandemic, the Department has primarily issued entry NIEs for business visitors who were coming to support critical infrastructure, for urgent resettlement of refugees, for family members of victims of Ukrainian Airlines flight PS752, and other cases at the Minister’s discretion for those in vulnerable situations.
• In 2021, Canada issued 4,253 NIE letters for refugees.