CIMM – Summary of the Immigration and Refugee Board’s 2022-2023 Main Estimates – May 12, 2022

Key Messages

The Immigration and Refugee Board (IRB) 2022-2023 Main Estimates total $282 million. This amount includes:
- $139 million in base funding;
- $127 million of the $150 million temporary funding announced by the Government in July 2020;
- $15 million re-profiled from 2021-22; and,
- $1 million in temporary funding for Measures for at-risk individuals from Afghanistan.
The IRB’s 2022-2023 Main Estimates of $282 million represent a decrease of $1 million from the $283 million reported in the 2021-2022 Main Estimates. This decrease is due primarily to a transfer in 2022-23 to Shared Services Canada.
Of the $150 million from the temporary funding, $23 million has been reallocated to Public Services and Procurement Canada and Shared Services Canada to provide the IRB with accommodations and IT infrastructure services.
In July 2020, the Government extended the IRB’s temporary funding through 2023, by allocating $150 million to each fiscal year 2021-2022 and 2022-2023, to enhance Canada’s asylum system and boost capacity in order to finalize up to 50,000 asylum claims and up to 13,500 appeals each year.
Budget 2022 announced a commitment of $687.4M over five years and $150M a year ongoing to maintain the long-term stability and integrity of Canada's asylum system, which includes a significant and permanent increase in the Board's salary and operational budget.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, the IRB has been guided by the dual objectives of protecting the health and safety of employees and those appearing before the Board, while also ensuring meaningful access to justice.
In 2020, the IRB adapted its operations and began to pilot virtual hearings. In January 2021, the Board announced that it would adopt a remote-hearings-only operating model, with exceptions being made in exceptional circumstances.
From January 2021 to end of March 2022, 98% of hearings have been held virtually, which represents nearly 50,000 virtual hearings, with a satisfaction rate over 95% in the Refugee Protection Division post-hearing surveys.
The IRB will continue to hear the majority of its matters virtually for the time being, with plans to implement a virtual/in-person hybrid approach once health conditions and operational realities allow. Sufficient advance notice of any changes will be provided to allow all parties time to accommodate any operational adjustments.

Despite pandemic disruptions, the Board has been able to return to full productivity. The inventory across all IRB divisions has declined by more than 40% between April 1, 2020, and April 1, 2022.