SECD – Asylum – February 9, 2026

Key Messages

• The government is committed to ensuring Canadians’ trust in the immigration system.
• We’re making our borders stronger and making sure the system is resilient and responsive to emerging pressures.
• These efforts are working—asylum claims are down 33% compared to last year.
  • January 1, 2025–November 30, 2025: 107,005 asylum claims
  • January 1, 2024–November 30, 2024: 159,860 asylum claims
• Our actions and message are clear and effective: the asylum system should not be seen as a shortcut to immigrate to Canada.

Asylum Claim Volumes

• Asylum volumes are difficult to predict and are driven by a number of factors. In recent years, Canada received historic volumes of asylum claims.
• To address high volumes, Canada has increased its processing capacity, while at the same time implementing other changes to improve the integrity of our immigration programs.
• Our most recent Multi-Year Immigration Levels Plan, along with new integrity measures, will serve to better screen foreign nationals who apply to come to Canada and to limit the overall number of temporary residents admitted into the country.
• We are seeing results. Between January 1, 2025, and November 30, 2025, total asylum claims across Canada fell by about 33% compared to the same period last year.
• Further reforms included in the Strengthening Canada’s Immigration System and Borders Act will continue to improve the asylum system by enabling faster and more efficient decision making by the Immigration and Refugee Board (IRB).

Airport, Inland and Land Border Claims

• Claims made at airports dropped by approximately 73%: from 40,240 between January–November 2024, down to 10,780 over the same period this year (January–November 2025).
• Claims made inland dropped by approximately 29%: from 102,270 between January–November 2024, down to 72,535 over the same period this year (January–November 2025).
• Claims made at land borders increased by approximately 40%: from 13,400 between January–November 2024, up to 18,725 over the same period this year (January–November 2025).
• While overall claims are down significantly, we continue to closely monitor asylum claims at the land border, particularly in Quebec.

Temporary Residents

• Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) is taking important steps to improve the integrity of the temporary resident program.
• The number of temporary residents claiming asylum is declining, as we enhanced screening of foreign nationals who apply to come to Canada. We are also limiting the overall number admitted into the country, as seen in the Multi-Year Immigration Levels Plan.
• Stronger screening and integrity measures led to a 43% drop in asylum claims from temporary residents between January–November 2025 (80,360) compared to the same period in 2024 (140,115). This overall decline was driven largely by a 65% reduction in claims from temporary resident visa holders (93,710 in January–November 2024 vs. 33,020 in January–November 2025).

Work Permits

• Work permits allow claimants to support themselves and their families while awaiting finalization of their claim, reducing reliance on provincial social assistance programs and emergency shelters. In cases where a claim is refused and the individual is no longer authorized to remain in Canada, their work permit is cancelled in accordance with immigration regulations.
• As of November 2025, there are approximately 238,000 asylum claimants with open work permits (including claimants who hold both a study and work permit).
• If asked: Between January and November 2025, there were approximately 13,195 asylum claims made by individuals holding work permits or work permit extensions.

Study permits

• If asked: Between January and November 2025, there were approximately 18,465 asylum claims made by individuals holding study permits or study permit extensions.

Processing Data and Timelines

• As of November 30, the overall processing time for 80% of eligibility decisions on asylum claims received was 19 days.
• This performance is exceeding the target of processing 80% of the eligibility decisions in 30 days.
• Following an eligibility decision and once the medical exam is completed, the work permit processing time for asylum claimants is 49 days.

IRB Inventory

• As of November 2025, the Refugee Protection Division (RPD) of the IRB had an inventory of approximately 299,452 claims.
• The average wait time for a decision at the RPD of the IRB at the end of November 2025 was 16 months from the time a claim is ready for adjudication.

Protected Persons in Canada

• A Protected Person in Canada (PPiC) is someone who has been determined to be at risk of persecution or harm if returned to their country of origin, following a successful asylum claim or pre-removal risk assessment.
• Protected Persons are permitted to live and work in Canada indefinitely, but do not enjoy the same benefits and privileges as a permanent resident—such as sponsoring dependent family members abroad for immigration to Canada.
• The Multi-Year Immigration Levels Plan sets admissions targets for Protected Persons and their dependent family members who choose to apply for permanent residence. For the 2026–2028 Plan, these targets are set at 20,000 for all three years.
• As of November 30, 2025, the processing time for PPiC applications for permanent residence finalized in the previous six months was 31 months for those residing outside of Quebec, and 48 months for those residing in Quebec. There was a total inventory of more than 144,000 applications from PPiCs, not including additional applications from dependent family members.
• As people are granted protection and apply for permanent residency, the number of applications has grown faster than the space available in the Immigration Levels Plan. This imbalance has led to a growing backlog of applications for permanent residence from protected persons in Canada, long processing times, and delays in family reunification.
• As part of a broader effort to return our immigration system to sustainable levels, IRCC will transition approximately 115,000 PPiCs and their in-Canada dependents to permanent residence in 2026 and 2027. This is in addition to this category’s regular immigration targets in the 2026–2028 Immigration Levels Plan.
• Many protected persons have built their lives in Canada—working, studying, and contributing to our communities and economy. By reducing the backlog of permanent residence applications from protected persons in Canada in a controlled and orderly way, we will help vulnerable people gain stability and support their integration.

Safe Third Country Agreement

• Canada and the United States (U.S.) continue to apply the Safe Third Country Agreement (STCA) to manage asylum claims at our shared border. It is in the national interest of both countries to receive asylum claims in an orderly way that respects our border integrity and our obligations to protect those in need.
• Under the STCA, people must seek refugee protection in the first safe country they arrive in, either in Canada or in the U.S., unless they qualify for an exception or an exemption to the Agreement.
• Individuals who do not meet an exception or exemption are returned to the U.S. to pursue their asylum claim, or vice versa to Canada.
• In March 2023, the STCA’s application was expanded to include individuals who make an asylum claim within 14 days after entering Canada irregularly anywhere along the land border (including internal waterways).
• The Government of Canada uses a robust framework to monitor developments in the U.S., and the impact that changes in policies and practices may have with respect to the U.S.’ refugee protection system. Monitoring is done on an ongoing basis.
• At this time, the U.S. remains the only country designated as a safe third country. We do not comment on internal U.S. government measures.
• We are in regular contact with U.S. counterparts on issues related to our shared border, and expect this to continue.

Irregular Crossings

• The number of irregular arrivals into Canada at land borders decreased significantly following the implementation of the Additional Protocol to the STCA.
• Entering between ports of entry does not provide greater access to Canada’s asylum system. Individuals who make a claim within 14 days of crossing irregularly will be turned back to the U.S., unless they meet an exemption or exception to the STCA.
• Canada did experience a slight increase in the number of irregular crossers that claimed asylum in the latter half of 2025. However, the numbers are still significantly lower than the 165 per day seen prior to March 2023 and the entry into force of the Additional Protocol. The daily average since then stands at 13 per day.
• IRCC continues to work closely with the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) to monitor changes in asylum volumes at the Canada–U.S. land border, including trends related to irregular crossers.
• Crossing between ports of entry presents very real dangers. Individuals should claim asylum in the first safe third country that they enter and do so legally at a port of entry.
• Through Canada’s recent border actions, the RCMP has increased its presence and interceptions along the border. The RCMP will continue to work with law enforcement partners in Canada and the U.S. to monitor the shared border, as well as disrupt and investigate illicit cross-border movements in both directions.

Quebec

• In spring and summer 2025, Quebec saw spikes in asylum claims at the land border. The vast majority of arrivals have been Haitian nationals (67%) who are eligible for an STCA family exception, and who are primarily entering at the Lacolle port of entry.
• Since the summer spike, Lacolle land border claims have dropped significantly to volumes typically seen in recent years.
• Despite the seasonal spikes in land border claims, the overall volumes of asylum claims made in Quebec in 2025 are 31% lower compared to the same period last year (January 1 to November 30, 2024):
  • Quebec 2025: 37,175
  • Quebec 2024: 53,605
• IRCC continues to work closely with the CBSA and the RCMP, as well as other federal partners to ensure alignment and coordination of the federal response.
• Contingency plans are in place, should volumes rise. We are prepared to respond to any scenario.