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 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 Canadian border closures. Despite this challenge, we resettled almost 9,200 refugees in 2020 and this year we continue to resettle urgent protection cases and those with family in Canada.
We are working with our partners to protect the health and safety of resettled refugees both prior to and after their arrival in Canada, in compliance with Canada’s COVID-19 guidelines.
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 the United Nations Refugee Agency or identified by a private sponsor, and are then assessed by 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 immediately 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
Refugee resettlement during the COVID-19 pandemic has been limited by border restriction measures.
Only those resettled refugees who are exempt from Canada’s border restriction measures can travel to Canada at this time. Exemptions apply to refugees whose visas were issued before travel restrictions were in place, those who have family members in Canada and those referred to Canada under the Urgent Protection Program.
Human rights defenders
We are concerned by the dangers that human rights defenders face all around the world. We have committed to introducing a dedicated refugee stream for human rights defenders at risk, in addition to our existing refugee resettlement program.
250 government-assisted refugee spaces have been added to the Immigration Levels Plan from 2021 to 2023 for these human rights defenders.
Economic pathways for refugees
As announced in June 2020, Canada will be welcoming 500 principal applicants and their family members, as part of Phase 2 of the Economic Mobility Pathways Pilot (EMPP).
Over and above Canada’s refugee resettlement programs, EMPP empowers refugees with in-demand skills to access existing economic immigration pathways, mitigating administrative barriers that refugees typically face.
Working with provinces and territories, communities, employers, and non-government partners, the EMPP aims to address labour shortages.
This innovative initiative recognizes refugees’ skills and abilities and their capacity to come to Canada as economic immigrants (rather than as resettled refugees), and make meaningful contributions to Canada’s economy.
Canada is demonstrating global leadership on refugee labour mobility as the first state co-chair of the Global Task Force on Third Country Employment Pathways, which will showcase lessons learned and best practices, and provide an opportunity to contribute to building global capacity for refugee labour mobility.
Pre-arrival and post-arrival services
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.
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.
We also work closely with the International Organization for Migration, or IOM, to facilitate immigration medical exams, pre-embarkation health checks, as well as travel to Canada. IOM delivers Canadian Orientation Abroad sessions, which include information on Canada’s COVID health measures.
After they land in Canada, resettled refugees will stay in government-authorized accommodation for their first three nights while awaiting the results of the COVID-19 test they are given upon arrival. Service provider organizations will coordinate the hotel bookings and transportation to the hotel, as well as ensuring that they get any specialized supports they may require. The Government of Canada will cover these costs.
For resettled refugees already in Canada, service provider organizations and sponsors are focusing on delivering critical resettlement and settlement services (e.g. income support and information on COVID-19 measures).
Safety of newcomers and frontline employees
Refugees resettling to Canada are particularly vulnerable and have critical needs upon their arrival. Support is provided to government-assisted refugees by IRCC-funded service provider organizations. Privately sponsored refugees are supported by their sponsors in Canada.
COVID-19 has made it more challenging for service providers to offer these critical supports. We have worked to ensure that these services can be delivered safely, including by supplying personal protective equipment to service providers early in the crisis when it was hard to come by.
Interim Federal Health Program
Resettled refugees receive healthcare coverage under the Interim Federal Health Program.
In light of the pandemic, we have signed 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, pre-embarkation health checks, and information on our public health measures.
Supporting facts and figures
Resettled refugee admissions
2019 Admissions
2020 Admissions
2021 Admissions Target
2022 Admissions Target
2023 Admissions Target
Government-Assisted
9,950
3,825
12,500
12,500
12,500
Blended Visa-Office Referred
995
50
1,000
1,000
1,000
Privately Sponsored
19,145
5,280
22,500
22,500
22,500
Total
30,090
9,155
36,000
36,000
36,000
In 2020, Canada resettled 115 refugees under the Urgent Protection Program.
Background
Refugee resettlement
Resettled refugees come to Canada as government-assisted refugees, blended visa office-referred refugees, or privately sponsored refugees. Each refugee application is reviewed by a Canadian officer abroad to determine if they qualify for resettlement, including passing security and medical checks prior to being issued a permanent resident visa.
Under the 1951 Refugee Convention, refugees are people who are outside of their country and require protection; they can usually register with the United Nations Refugee Agency.
Canada is facilitating resettlement of refugees who are eligible to travel to Canada under current travel restrictions, including: refugees whose visas were issued before travel restrictions were put in place, those who have family members in Canada, and those referred to Canada under the Urgent Protection Program.
Canada recognizes the crucial role of our delivery partners in supporting our refugee resettlement program. IRCC obtained new funding to address critical financial and operational pressures that these key partners are facing to ensure they can support the Department in meeting our refugee resettlement targets in the 2021-2023 Immigration Levels Plan.
Human rights defenders
Canada is set to become one of the first countries to establish a dedicated refugee stream to protect human rights defenders at risk.
Under the new stream, human rights defenders at risk will continue to be identified by the United Nations Refugee Agency, and potentially by new, trusted and authorized referral partners with a mandate to assist human rights defenders.
The new stream is on track to be launched this year.
Economic pathways for refugees
In April 2018, the Department launched Phase 1 of the Economic Mobility Pathways Pilot (EMPP), in partnership with non-governmental organizations, including Talent Beyond Boundaries, RefugePoint and UNHCR. Its goal was to examine whether 10-15 skilled refugees could access existing permanent economic immigration pathways and to document the barriers/challenges they faced in doing so. Five provinces (Ontario, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Manitoba and Yukon) participated in Phase 1.
Phase 1 of EMPP demonstrated that skilled refugees can immigrate to Canada through economic pathways, if administrative facilitation measures are in place to help overcome their challenges. A total of 20 individuals (including principal applicants and their families) have arrived in Canada as economic immigrants, establishing a “proof of concept” and contributing to lessons learned that will inform Phase 2.
The EMPP Phase II has two key objectives:
Support Canadian employers to access a new source of skilled labour to fill in-demand needs across Canada.
Provide a durable solution for skilled refugees that is based on their employment skills and qualifications.
The Department is presently working with interested provinces and territories to identify local labour market needs and/or employers interested in hiring skilled refugees. IRCC and UNHCR will continue to work with non-governmental organization partners to best identify skilled refugee clients abroad for identified job opportunities, as well as to offer processing facilitation and settlement supports to help the clients and their families arrive and integrate in Canada.
Pre-arrival and post-arrival services
The Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) will cover the costs of the COVID-19 tests administered to all travelers, including resettled refugees, upon arrival in Canada.
All resettled refugees will stay in government-authorized accommodation for three nights while they await the results of the COVID-19 test they took on arrival. IRCC provides funding to service provider organizations to provide support to refugees, including coordinating hotel bookings, transportation to the hotel, and covering costs of hotel bills.
When a negative test result is received, resettled refugees will proceed from their hotel to their final destination, by land or domestic air travel. They will complete their remaining quarantine period at a suitable facility determined by Resettlement Assistance Program service provider organizations (RAP-SPOs) or private sponsors.
Toward the end of the quarantine period, resettled refugees will be required to take a second COVID-19 test provided by PHAC at their final destination. This second test is self-administered and instructions will be provided by PHAC on how to take the test and send it back. RAP-SPOs or private sponsors may assist with this process.
Safety of newcomers and frontline employees
To address public health protocols and requirements, we have maintained regular and open communication with service provider organizations to assess their needs and capacity. For privately supported refugees, the Department is engaging regularly with the Sponsorship Agreement Holder Council and the Refugee Sponsorship Training Program to listen to concerns and questions and to share updates and resources.
Interim Federal Health Program
The Interim Federal Health Program ensures that refugees have coverage to access the health care system in Canada, address their medical needs and, in turn, better integrate into and more fully participate in Canadian society.
Within Canada, the IFHP provides refugees with limited, temporary coverage of basic benefits, similar to provincial/territorial health-insurance programs, for up to three months; as well as supplemental and prescription drug coverage, similar to the extended health benefits provided to recipients of provincial/territorial social assistance, for the first 12 months after their arrival.
Prior to arrival, resettled refugees receive coverage of certain pre-departure medical services, including outbreak management and control activities such as: COVID-19 testing in line with our public health requirements; isolation services for those who test positive or display symptoms of COVID-19, along with their close contacts; and pre-embarkation health checks, such as temperature screenings on the day of departure, provision of masks and hand sanitizer, and information on Canada’s public health measures.
IRCC received Treasury Board approval of additional funding for the IFHP, earmarked through Economic and Fiscal Snapshot 2020, to enable the Program to continue providing healthcare coverage to refugees and asylum claimants up to March 2022-2023, ensuring that their distinct health needs can be met, while supporting Canada’s mandate of protecting overall public health in Canada.
