Canada Faces Asylum Backlog of 180,000, Official Says

A young new Canadian holds a flag as she takes part in a citizenship ceremony on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on April 17, 2019. The Canadian Press/Sean Kilpatrick

About 180,000 illegal immigrants and asylum seekers in Canada are asking to stay in the country, causing long wait times, according to information from a Senate committee hearing.

“Thousands of claimants are facing long wait times at multiple points in the process,” said Jason Hollmann, director general of asylum policy at the immigration department, as first reported by Blacklock’s Reporter.

Mr. Hollmann made the comments at a Senate social affairs committee on May 23, saying that asylum decisions can take years.

“What does the backlog stand at today?” Senator Ratna Omidvar asked.

Mr. Hollman said that claim volumes had been “growing.”

“Last year, Canada received 144,000 asylum claims,” said Mr. Hollmann. “The inventory, in terms of the initial eligibility determination, is around 34,000.”

“Although it falls under the Immigration and Refugee Board, my understanding is their inventory for decision is around 180,000,” he added.

The costs of housing and supporting asylum seekers who have illegally entered the country have been in the hundreds of millions of dollars, according to government data.

In 2023, Canada spent $767 million on hotels and meals for refugees and illegal immigrants. In Niagara Falls alone, the government spent $100 million over a year. The average accommodation cost for an asylum seeker is $208 per day.

“Typically, the role of the federal government has been to ensure that claimants receive interim federal health benefits, that we provide access to legal aid, and we provide work permits so claimants can support themselves while their claim is pending,” said Mr. Hollmann. “The other support services are traditionally offered by other jurisdictions. The government has been providing interim housing support since 2017.”

Ottawa has given nearly $750 million to provinces and municipalities to help with asylum housing since 2017, a January 2024 government news release said.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) gave $2 billion to refugees and asylum seekers in 2023, the release says.

The costs cover refugee services such as airport welcome, temporary housing, help setting up bank accounts, and learning the transportation system, and can even include monthly income support for refugees who can’t afford “basic needs.” This amount is based on social assistance rates in the province the refugee settles in. It can last for up to a year after they arrive.

IRCC Minister Marc Miller has already announced an additional $362.4 million for the Interim Housing Assistance Program for the 2023–2024 fiscal period in the government release.

A recent Statistics Canada report estimated that by 2041, over 50 percent of those living in Canada would be immigrants and their Canadian-born children. In 2016, this group accounted for 40 percent of the population.

It also noted that a record 8.3 million people were landed immigrants or permanent residents in 2021, topping the previous record in 1921.

Chris Tomlinson, Matthew Horwood, and The Canadian Press contributed to this report.