The Government of Canada assisted 462 Canadian citizens and permanent residents to leave Sudan on Canadian Armed Forces and allied evacuation flights. This assistance included flights from Sudan and Djibouti to Nairobi from April 27 to 30, 2023.
Arrivals in Canada:
The measures that the Government of Canada put in place are intended to assist Sudanese and non-Sudanese nationals whose country of residence was Sudan at the time of the outbreak of conflict.
Between April 23, 2023 and January 31, 2024 3,933 people were admitted to Canada from Sudan. This includes:
2,838 admissions as permanent residents, across all categories, primarily including resettled refugees, protected persons, and family class.
1,095 who arrived as temporary residents, including those with work permits, study permits, and temporary resident permits.
These figures reflect the arrivals of people in Sudan who, having fled Sudan, applied while in a third country or overseas before coming to Canada, some of whom were prioritized under measures for Sudan.
IRCC is prioritizing processing of completed overseas temporary and permanent residence applications from those in Sudan, applications from those who were in Sudan and whose departure was assisted by Canada, and in-Canada applications from Sudanese nationals (below). Prioritized applications must still meet requirements for completeness, and applicants must still meet statutory eligibility and admissibility requirements.
Data on special measures to support those already in Canada:
Due to the current situation in Sudan, Sudanese nationals in Canada can apply for study or open work permits or to extend their stay in Canada for free. As of January 31, 2024, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has processed 819 temporary resident applications from Sudanese nationals in Canada.
Family-based permanent residence pathway:
On February 27, 2024, IRCC launched a new public policy creating a pathway to migrate to Canada. The Department will accept up to 3,250 applications for permanent residence for Sudanese and non-Sudanese foreign nationals who are family members of a Canadian citizen or permanent resident and who resided in Sudan when the conflict began on April 15, 2023.
As of March 13, 2024, 2,667 applications have been received, and 306 applications (representing 689 persons) have been accepted into process.
International aid:
In 2023, Canada allocated over $165M in humanitarian assistance funding to experienced partners in Sudan and neighbouring countries impacted by the crisis.
