Minister Describes Private Refugee Sponsorship Pause as an ‘Unfortunate Reality’

December 3, 2024 TruthUSA

Immigration Minister Marc Miller explains that the recent pause in most private refugee sponsorships is due to an “oversupply” of applications, and the government aims to avoid giving false hope to people fleeing war zones.

The government announced a temporary pause on privately sponsored refugee applications from community organizations and groups of five or more individuals on Nov. 29. This pause went into effect immediately and will remain in place until Dec. 31, 2025.

According to immigration officials, there are currently over 90,000 private refugee applications awaiting processing. Over the next three years, the government plans to admit 66,000 privately sponsored refugees.

Some refugee aid organizations were taken by surprise by the pause and have called for an increase in the number of refugees admitted to expedite the clearance of the application backlog.

In the past year, the government has been reducing the intake of newcomers to Canada, including students, temporary workers, and permanent residents.

Miller notes that many aid organizations were anticipating changes following the announcement of the government’s broader immigration plan in October. He describes the refugee sponsorship pause as an “unfortunate reality” stemming from the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada’s inability to keep up with the high volume of applications.