Canada announces 3 new initiatives to welcome more refugees

Canada has announced the introduction of three (3) new initiatives to welcome refugees to the country.

Throughout the pandemic, Canada was one of the few countries that continued to resettle refugees. In 2020, Canada welcomed 9,200 refugees.

From the start of the year until May 29, 2021, Canada accepted 4,345 applications for permanent residence from pending and unsuccessful refugee claimants. These refugees were working in Canada’s health care sector and provided direct care to patients during the pandemic.

It was announced on June 18, that the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) will make changes to the Economic Mobility Pathways Pilot (EMPP), the Private Sponsorship of Refugees Program, and increase the number of allowed protected persons to come to Canada.

The EMPP is an initiative that recognizes the skills and talents of refugees by welcoming them through economic immigration streams. The IRCC has promised to settle 500 refugees and their families through the EMPP. The new measures to the EMPP should improve the process in several ways, see below for details.

• Expedite the processing of permanent residence applications for EMPP applicants in several streams. This will allow applicants to start work and contribute to the economy faster.
• Make it easier for refugees under the EMPP to receive settlement funds.
• Waive fees for permanent residence applications.
• Make the EMPP application process more flexible.
• Provide pre-departure medical services to assist with immigration medical exams.

The Private Sponsorship of Refugees Program helps welcome more refugees and set them up for success in Canada. To strengthen the program, IRCC launched a national call for proposals to improve existing pre- and post-arrival support services for private sponsors. The proposals should ensure that refugees can take advantage of the assistance offered. Up to $3 million over two (2) years will be invested in supporting nine (9) organizations, because of this process.

Asylum levels in Canada have remained stable throughout the pandemic. IRCC has decided to increase the number of protected persons that Canada will welcome in 2021 from 23,500 to 45,000. IRCC promises to also expedite the processing of applications. This will allow for more protected persons to quickly become permanent residents and begin their life in Canada.