OTTAWA — The government's decision to pause most private refugee sponsorships is because there is an "oversupply" of applications and Canada doesn't want to give people fleeing war zones false hope, Immigration Minister Marc Miller said Tuesday.
The government quietly posted a notice on its website on Nov. 29 saying it would not accept any new privately sponsored refugee applications from community organizations and groups of five or more individuals until Dec. 31, 2025.
Immigration officials say there are more than 90,000 private refugee applications awaiting processing. Over the next three years, the government plans to admit 66,000 privately sponsored refugees.
"When it comes to private sponsorships, there's an oversupply of folks out there, so it's about being real with Canadians and making sure when we make those dedicated commitments to resettle those fleeing war or oppression that we're doing it in the right way and not entertaining false hope," Miller said as he left the weekly cabinet meeting in Ottawa.
"So it's an unfortunate reality of the situation that we're in."
According to the ministry, 80 per cent of finalized refugee applications were completed in 40 months or less as of Sept. 30.
Some refugee aid organizations say they were caught off guard by the decision to pause applications, and pushed for the government to instead increase the number of refugees admitted to the country to clear the application backlog more efficiently.
Over the past year, the government has been reducing the number of newcomers admitted to Canada including students, temporary workers and permanent residents.
Miller said many aid organizations were bracing for changes since the government's broader immigration plan was announced in October.
From all refugee streams, the government has a target of admitting around 58,000 people next year, and over 168,000 in total by the end of 2027.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 3, 2024.
David Baxter, The Canadian Press