When responding to international crises, the Government of Canada tailors each response to meet the unique needs of those who require our support. We often engage and collaborate with diaspora communities in Canada to help determine our response.
The government is looking closely at our programs and initiatives to assess how they impact different groups of clients, with a view to enhancing equity of access and benefits.
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) recently released the final report of its Strategic Immigration Review, which includes actions to position Canada’s immigration system to adapt quickly and to enable a more equitable and sustainable process for responding to growing humanitarian crises.
The Strategic Immigration Review includes a commitment to develop a Crisis Response Framework that supports more proactive and predictable responses to crises and other pressures, based on consistently applied criteria including equity considerations.
Supplementary Information
If pressed on why responses are different:
As global displacement intensifies and becomes more complex, IRCC is increasingly being called upon to respond to a range of unique humanitarian situations that necessitate a migration response, including facilitative measures (e.g., waiving of requirements for existing programs) and/or the creation of new programs.
Canada has responded to a number of crises in recent years such as Sudan and the situation in Israel and Palestine, employing a mix of measures and supports meant to address the unique needs of each situation. IRCC has implemented a mix of permanent and temporary measures to balance the resettlement of refugees and also the desire for some individuals to return to their country once it is safe to do so.
Our recent initiatives have focused on facilitating family reunification and providing facilitative measures or pathways to Canada for those with humanitarian needs.
Situations are examined on a case by case basis, as each humanitarian crisis that Canada responds to is different from those that came before it. IRCC engages and collaborates with diaspora communities in Canada to help determine our response, such as the Sudanese Canadian Community Association and the National Council of Canadian Muslims.
IRCC continues to review its programs, policies and processes to assess their fairness, transparency, equity and cultural sensitivity.
If pressed on the Crisis Response Framework:
Informed by lessons learned from recent responses, IRCC is developing a Crisis Response Framework to improve preparedness when responding to humanitarian crises and other pressures. The Framework seeks to provide the overarching guiding principles and vision for a successful response.
The Framework seeks to improve decision-making by establishing a transparent and evidence-based assessment mechanism to inform when a migration response may be warranted for particular situations, based on the needs of affected populations and informed by equity considerations.
If pressed on intake controls:
Program intake controls and/or expiry dates are a standard practice in temporary public policies. They take into account a number of considerations, including the evolving situation on the ground, resources required and available to process applications, available settlement supports including through diaspora in Canada, and the Immigration Levels Plan and other immigration pathways available for the target population.
For Gaza, it is also important to remember that movement out of Gaza remains extremely challenging, as countries and other actors set their own entry and exit requirements. Canada and like-minded countries continue to work with countries in the region to support moving people from Gaza to Egypt. Canada does not control who can exit Gaza.
The Sudan public policy is intended to allow the admission of approximately 5,000 Sudanese and non-Sudanese foreign nationals who are family members of a Canadian citizen or permanent resident by way of an intake cap of 3,250 applications accepted into processing. There is no limit to the number of accompanying family members that can be included on the principal applicant’s application. Program volumes as well as how the situation on the ground evolves, will be carefully assessed to ensure Canada is continuing to meet the needs of the population.
If pressed on financial requirements for anchors for the Sudan public policy (compared to Ukraine):
Applicants who were residing in Sudan when the war broke out on April 15, 2023, may be vulnerable individuals, including Sudanese and non-Sudanese nationals who were forced to flee the country that were already displaced and residing in Sudan.
It is important to ensure the anchor has the will and means to support their extended family member by providing a statutory declaration of support and demonstrating they meet minimum financial requirements.
Successful applicants will be eligible for IRCC-funded settlement services upon arrival in Canada, including employment-related services.
