Canada has not reached its goal of accepting 81,000 refugees based on the figures provided by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).
IRCC data shows half of the target was achieved by the end of October this year. It also shows that only 32000 of the claimants were qualified as “Protected Person”, although it was supposed to be 45000.
These backlogs are due to the challenging situation this year, as explained by Sean Fraser.
Out of the 22,770 refugees 2020, around a third were resettled in Canada in 2020.
2025 update—By spring 2025, Canada had not yet met its refugee resettlement targets for the year. The government’s plan aimed for 72,750 refugees and protected persons to be admitted. That number was somewhat flexible—between 64,000 and 80,000—but the country is still in the process of closing that gap.
Looking back to 2023 gives some context. Canada accepted 74,979 individuals under refugee and protection categories. Out of these, 51,081 were resettled refugees. These included 23,311 government-supported, 27,660 brought in through private sponsorship, and 110 through a shared referral program. The rest—23,898—were people already in Canada who gained protected status after seeking asylum.
A few specific programs have been put into motion to build on these numbers. Canada doubled its annual target for resettling human rights defenders and their families. The goal? Up to 500 each year. By late October 2024, around 300 people had come through that route.
Another program focuses on LGBTQI+ individuals at risk. Through a deal with Rainbow Railroad, the government set out to resettle up to 250 people each year. As of October 31, 2024, 15 had arrived.
There’s also a push to support French-speaking communities outside Quebec. Canada wants 8.5% of its permanent residents in these areas to speak French by the end of 2025—up from 7% in 2024. Efforts are underway, numbers are rising, and several groups are being prioritized. Still, as it stands now, the overall target for 2025 hasn’t been hit. Time remains, but the pace will need to pick up.
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