CCR welcomes long overdue measure to give permanent residence to refugees in Canada

Drastic cuts for refugees resettled from abroad deeply disappointing

November 5, 2025

The Canadian Council for Refugees welcomed a key measure in the government’s levels plan announced today, but is dismayed at further major cuts to the refugee resettlement program. This means that far fewer refugees around the world will find safety in Canada, even though a home is waiting for them in Canada.

The special initiative to provide permanent residence to 115,000 Protected Persons (refugees accepted in Canada) in the next two years is urgently needed, because of the huge backlog of applications that the government has allowed to develop.

“The government was right to provide a response to the thousands of people to whom Canada has offered protection but no permanent status – it is not only life-changing for them, but also good for Canadian society as a whole,” said Diana Gallego, President of the Canadian Council for Refugees. “We look forward to hearing a commitment from the government to also process in a timely manner family members overseas – people need to be reunited with family before they can move forward with their lives.”

CCR has for many years urged the government to address the backlog of Protected Person applications (now at close to 150,000) so that accepted refugees in Canada can become permanent residents without delay. Only once they have permanent residence can they thrive in their new lives in Canada and reunite with family. Recently published processing times show that, without the measure, Protected Persons applying today would wait more than eight years!

This bright light is unfortunately overshadowed by further major cuts for refugees resettled from overseas. Privately sponsored refugees go from 23,000 in 2025 to 16,000 in 2026, a 30% reduction. Government-Assisted Refugees are reduced from 15,250 to 13,250.

CCR had urged Canada to ensure at least 15% of our immigration levels be dedicated to refugee resettlement, including at least 20,000 Government-Assisted Refugees . At only 8%, we are far from that goal. More than 90,000 refugees are currently waiting for protection and a permanent home in Canada through a private sponsorship application - the government’s decision to set the levels target at 16,000 means a wait time of nearly six years. Canada is stepping back from its long tradition of engaging the whole population in welcoming refugees from around the world – at a time when the global need is greater than before.

Also of concern is the low target for humanitarian applications: with only 5,800 planned for special humanitarian programs in 2026, countless people eligible under special measures for citizens of Sudan, Ukraine and Hong Kong, will be forced to wait years more, calling into question the “humanitarian” character of the measure.

Overall, cuts in targets for refugees, humanitarian applications and Family Class reflect the government’s new objective of increasing the economic share of immigration to 64%. This distorts the role that immigration plays in building our society – we strongly believe that Canadians value newcomers for their multifaceted contributions, and immigration should thus have a more even balance between the different categories.

“We can’t build a strong and resilient Canada without immigrants and refugees," said Gauri Sreenivasan, CCR Co- Executive Director. “Narrowing the welcome we offer to newcomers undermines our strengths. In Canada, we speak many languages, come from many places, and across our differences, we know that we're better off together.”

The CCR is concerned at cuts announced in the budget to settlement services, with plans to limit eligibility for economic immigrants. These services are crucial in supporting newcomers as they find their footing, leading to our communities being enriched by their contributions.

Finally, the levels plan includes massive cuts for temporary residents (temporary workers and international students) – from 516,600 in the 2025 plan to 385,000 in 2026 plan. The CCR has urged that the focus should not be on cuts for temporary residents but on ensuring pathways to permanence and open work permits to address the high levels of exploitation experienced by temporary workers who are playing vital roles in our society and economy without respect for their basic rights.

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