IRCC Minister Transition Binder 2021: Refugee Resettlement

Introduction

• Canada’s Refugee Resettlement Program is a longstanding humanitarian tradition grounded in the 1951 Refugee Convention and Immigration and Refugee Protection Act.
  • Once in Canada, refugees receive protected person and permanent resident status and may not be directly or indirectly returned to a country of persecution (concept of “non-refoulement”).
• The United Nations Refugee Agency promotes three durable solutions for refugees as part of its core mandate, in order of preference:
  • Voluntary repatriation
  • Local integration in the country of asylum
  • Resettlement to a third country
• Resettlement is used when refugees do not have a durable solution in their first country of asylum and cannot be voluntarily repatriated: it is typically used by the United Nations Refugee Agency as the last solution.

Foundation of refugee status determination

• Well-founded fear of persecution based on:
  • Race
  • Religion
  • Nationality
  • Political opinion
  • Membership in a particular social group
• Risk to life or risk of cruel and unusual treatment or punishment

Global Resettlement Trends

• At the end of 2020, 82.4 million persons were forcibly displaced worldwide due to persecution, conflict, or generalized violence.
  • 26.4 million refugees
    • 207 million refugees under UNHCR’s mandate
    • 5.7 million Palestine refugees under UNRWA’s mandate
  • 48.0 million internally displaced people
  • 4.1 million asylum-seekers
  • 3.9 million Venezuelans displaced abroad
• In 2020, just under 40,000 submissions for resettlement were made globally, with one quarter of those to Canada. Yet, this represented only 3% of the global need for resettlement.
• Refugees are people who have fled war, violence, or persecution and have crossed an international border to find safety in another country. They have been determined to meet the legal definition of a refugee by either the UN Refugee Agency or their country of asylum.
• Asylum seekers are people who have fled their home country to seek international protection in another country, but whose request for sanctuary has yet to be processed.
• Internally displaced persons are forced to flee their homes, often for the same reasons as refugees, but have not crossed a border to find safety. Unlike refugees, they are on the run in their country of nationality or habitual residence.

Canada’s Refugee Resettlement Program

Refugees are selected for resettlement and provided with supports upon arrival:

• Government-assisted refugees represent the most vulnerable refugee populations as identified by the United Nations Refugee Agency, Canada’s primary referral partner. The Government provides settlement services and income support for one year.
• Privately sponsored refugees represent two thirds of all refugees resettled to Canada, and are identified by Canadians. Most are selected based on family connections of recently arrived refugees. Sponsors provide income and settlement support for one year.
• Refugees referred by the United Nations Refugee Agency are sometimes identified by visa officers as cases that could be matched with a private sponsor, who share financial supports with the Government (Blended Visa Office-Referred Program).

The Resettlement Program is reliant on key partners

Overseas

• The United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) selects and refers refugees for resettlement to Canada.
• The International Organization for Migration provides critical logistical support (i.e. interpretation, transportation to and from interviews, orientations, form filling, and transportation to Canada).

In Canada

• Private sponsors select cases for resettlement and provide settlement and integration supports to refugees.
• Resettlement service providers provide income support and services to refugees upon arrival (e.g. temporary housing, orientation, links to integration services such as language training) on behalf of the Government of Canada.
• Communities in provinces and territories receive refugees based on family connections, the availability of medical services, and other factors.
• The Province of Quebec operates its own settlement program under the Canada-Quebec Accord.

The Department also engages regularly with refugee advocacy and sponsorship groups such as the Canadian Council for Refugees, Rainbow Coalition for Refugees, and the Sponsorship Agreement Holder Council.

COVID-19 Pandemic Impacts

• The COVID-19 pandemic has had disproportionate impacts on refugees and other displaced persons. Public health measures, travel and border restrictions have significantly impacted resettlement worldwide.
• Canada has continued to resettle refugees throughout the pandemic, with a focus on urgent protection cases. The Department is now recovering its capacity to continue processing other resettlement cases as normal.
• In 2020, Canada resettled 9,236 refugees, just under one third of the levels target of 31,700. As of August 8, 2021, Canada has resettled 4,447 refugees out of a levels target of 36,000.
• Canada has introduced measures to facilitate application processing in light of pandemic restrictions, including remote (video) interviews and adjusting biometrics collection, as well as working with sponsors and settlement provider organizations to welcome refugees safely to Canada and ensure all necessary supports are in place.

Key Takeaways

• Globally, migration and refugee needs are at all-time highs. In 2020, 34,400 refugees were resettled, only one third as many as the previous year (107,800). UNHCR estimates that in 2022, 1,473,156 individuals will be in need of resettlement as a durable solution.
• Canada continues to be a global leader in refugee and humanitarian resettlement, with plans to resettle 108,000 refugees between 2021 and 2023. Canada’s resettlement capacity continues to recover as pandemic restrictions ease and facilitative measures are implemented in response to COVID-19.
• Further information will be provided on Canada’s upcoming role in various international fora relating to refugee resettlement, including regional resettlement commitments, special immigration measures in Afghanistan, and work on complementary pathways for refugees (labour, education, and family reunification immigration pathways).