FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
African Refugees Wait Longest for Resettlement to Canada – Face Systemic Racism: New Canadian Council for Refugees Report
December 5th, 2025 (Montréal, QC) – Refugees in Africa continue to face the longest wait for resettlement to Canada — a reality that reflects structural inequities and systemic racism, according to a new report from the Canadian Council for Refugees (CCR) “Every day we live with fear and uncertainty” – Canadian Processing of Resettled Refugees in Africa.
More than two years after Canada’s Auditor General exposed serious inequities in immigration processing of African refugees, too little has changed. “Thousands of refugees in Africa are caught up in long immigration processing delays, their lives at risk and in limbo and the Canadian government response remains inadequate, particularly compared to processing in other regions of the world,” said Asma Faizi, CCR President. “We urgently need the government to act decisively to ensure African refugees are treated equitably.”
Data shows wait times of 42 months for Government-Assisted Refugees and 47 months for Privately Sponsored Refugees in Africa, slower than any other region.
These long delays have human impacts. Most refugees live in precarious conditions, facing violence, food insecurity, and with limited access to healthcare or education. Families remain separated for years. And, most tragically, some refugees die while waiting. One refugee awaiting resettlement said, “Every day we live with fear and uncertainty about our lives and the future of our children.”
Canada’s response to the Sudan conflict further illustrates the inequities. The Sudan Family-Based Humanitarian Pathway was announced in early 2024 as a lifeline for families fleeing war, but immigration-level cuts have left many applicants waiting. “Families have no clear information about how long they can expect to wait, other than it is likely to be many more years,” said Samah Alim of the Sudanese Canadian Community Association. “Telling Sudanese-Canadian families they must wait years to reunite with loved ones trying to escape the world’s largest humanitarian crisis is indefensible.”
The CCR report identifies root causes of these delays: chronic under-resourcing of African visa offices, low immigration level targets and stalled anti-racism efforts within Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. Among the symptoms: lack of transparent regional data and poor communications with applicants and sponsors.
The CCR is calling on the federal government to ensure equitable processing times for resettled refugees across regions, through clear policy commitments, service standards and adequate resourcing.
“Canadians take pride in being a country that welcomes refugees, treating all with fairness and equity,” said Gauri Sreenivasan, CCR Co-Executive Director. “We expect the government to carry on that legacy and make our refugee system one that reflect those values — no matter where a refugee comes from.”
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About the Canadian Council for Refugees:
The Canadian Council for Refugees is a leading voice for the rights, protection, sponsorship, settlement, and well-being of refugees and migrants in Canada and globally. CCR is driven by member organizations working with, from, and for these communities from coast to coast to coast.
The full report, along with its Executive Summary and an infographic, is available here.
Media contact:
Gauri Sreenivasan
Co-Executive Director
media@ccrweb.ca
613-852-0983