Public statement
24 October 2024
Canada betrays refugees – CCR Statement on 2025 Levels Announcement
In a shameful abdication of responsibility, the Canadian government has massively reduced its commitment to offer protection to those fleeing persecution and danger in the world, and all but ensured that refugees in Canada will remain separated from their spouses and children for years to come. The CCR condemns today’s announcement and calls on the government to reverse this dangerous course.
“Behind the numbers slashed from the humanitarian component of the levels today are over 14,000 real people fleeing persecution and seeking safety in Canada or struggling in conflict zones around the world facing violence, starvation, and death. It particularly fails those already here whom we have committed to protect and their family members abroad.” – said Diana Gallego, President of the CCR. “It is not an exaggeration to say that the action taken today will rob children of their futures and destroy families. People will lose their lives.”
In anticipation of the immigration levels announcement, CCR had called for Canada to rise to the global challenge of growing numbers of forcibly displaced people and reverse a recent pattern of declining refugee targets. CCR had recommended Canada bring a minimum of 20,000 Government Assisted Refugees (GARs), and through a one-time increase address the backlog of privately sponsored refugees awaiting resettlement and end the separation of the huge numbers of children and spouses overseas of people who have been granted protection in Canada.
The government did not heed our call, failing to live up to the international standards on which we pride ourselves.
With a reduction from 29,000 to 20,000, the cuts to Protected Persons and their Dependents abroad is much deeper than the rest of the levels. While the overall reduction in the immigration levels is 21%, this category (refugees in Canada and their families overseas), which already gets too small a share, is slashed by 31%. With a backlog in this category of over 100,000 active applications, the 2025 numbers are signaling that only 1 out of every 5 refugees and family members (some of whom have already been waiting for over 4 years!) will get permanent status and be able move on with their lives. We repeat our call to Minister Miller to issue Temporary Resident Permits (TRPs) to family members abroad of these applicants in order to swiftly reunite families. This call is now more urgent than ever given the stark reduction in the levels for this category.
While the levels for Government Assisted Refugees (GARs) remain steady at 15,250 as announced last year, this number is a reduction from previous years and a drop in the bucket of the growing number of displaced people around the world, and far below Canada’s actual capacity to resettle refugees.
Refugees being resettled from overseas already often wait more than three years. The five thousand in cuts announced for privately sponsored refugees, a baffling decision considering all the costs for applicants in this category are covered by private citizens, will now mean even longer waits, often in situations where their lives are at risk on a daily basis. Backtracking when the world needs us to step up will be a stain on our international reputation.
Canada is world renowned for the know how, skills and systems to welcome and set up refugees for success. The solutions are at hand and need only to be scaled up. From the crisis in Syria to Afghanistan to Ukraine, every year communities and families privately sponsor more refugees than the government brings—a sign of public support that puts today’s announcement to shame.
Canadians want well-managed systems for fair and compassionate immigration, and they want and deserve access to affordable and accessible housing and other core services. These aspirations are not in competition with each other, and it was disappointing to witness today the pitting of Canadians against future Canadians to justify an ill-advised change in immigration and refugee protection policy.
CCR and its 200 members will continue to work in communities across the country to support and advocate for refugee and migrant rights.