Private sponsorship backlog relief

AI summary

Petitioners ask the government to clear 30,000 privately sponsored African refugee cases within one year, prioritize Sudan, and add spaces without reducing other allocations. The government responds IRCC is prioritizing cases and adding resources to meet commitments.

AI summaries describe petitioners’ requests and claims. Consult the official record for the full text.

Official petition

Petition to the House of Commons in Parliament assembled African refugees remain among the most affected by systemic inequities in immigration processing and prolonged displacement crises in our current world. Despite the department’s renaming from CIC to IRCC in 2015 to emphasize refugee protection, evidence of discriminatory practices and systemic backlogs affecting African refugee applicants remains well documented; Reports from CIMM (2022), the Auditor General (2023), and the CCR (2025) confirm that African refugee applications take the longest processing times and largest backlogs in the system, indicating a systemic disadvantage based on race and origin. Canada’s 2023 commitment to prioritize those affected by the Sudan conflict is undermined by thousands of privately sponsored refugees (PSRs) who languish in limbo after several years; A PSR backlog of 86,000 against an annual intake of 16,000 adds nearly 6 years of delays. African refugees already face the longest waits and largest backlogs, exposing them to irreparable harm and risk of refoulement; and Efforts to stabilize immigration levels should not undermine the PSR program, a proven community-led model with strong integration outcomes. We, the undersigned, Citizens and Residents of Canada, call upon the House of Commons in Parliament assembled to consider action with respect to lengthy processing delays for overseas refugees in Africa by: 1. Launching a one-time initiative to resolve 30,000 privately sponsored refugee cases from the existing African backlog within one year, prioritizing those displaced by the Sudan conflict, with additional immigration spaces that do not reduce allocations for other refugee populations; and 2. Conducting a data-driven study to establish clear policy commitments, enforceable service standards, equitable resourcing, and rapid emergency for refugees in Africa, including timely TRPs for those facing immediate danger.

Government response

Response by the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Signed by Peter Fragiskatos, M.P. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) recognizes the concerns raised regarding long processing times in Sub-Saharan Africa, including the impacts on families and individuals waiting for resettlement. IRCC is committed to a fair and non-discriminatory application of immigration procedures. All applications from around the world are assessed on a case-by-case basis by highly-trained immigration officers and equally against the same criteria. This year’s Levels Plan focuses on a return to sustainable immigration levels through continued decreases to temporary resident arrivals and stabilized permanent resident admissions. The Plan prioritizes economic immigration to support the government’s commitment to attract the best talent in the world and fill critical labour gaps in high-demand occupations that complement the domestic workforce, while maintaining the focus on humanitarian cases and family reunification, including through the Private Sponsorship of Refugees Program. Canada continues to be a global leader in refugee resettlement and is on track to meet its commitments to resettle up to 12 000 government-assisted refugees from Sub Saharan Africa between 2024 and 2026, including up to 4 000 Sudanese refugees by the end of 2026, as well as a further 700 Sudanese refugees through private sponsorship. Processing efforts, processing times and operational challenges IRCC continues to direct significant resources to the region, and arrivals from Sub-Saharan Africa remain high relative to other parts of the world. More than half of privately sponsored refugees that arrived in Canada last year came from Sub-Saharan Africa and this year, arrivals are expected to remain high. Processing times across permanent residence programs, including for refugees, are influenced by a range of factors, including operational realities in the region like high application volumes and exit permit processes determined by the host country. IRCC continues to actively manage inventories and enhance processing capacity to reduce wait times across all refugee streams, including privately sponsored refugees. To move toward providing more timely protection to refugees abroad and more certainty to sponsors in Canada, IRCC paused accepting new private sponsorship applications for groups of five and community sponsors as of November 29, 2024. Applications already submitted will continue to be processed, and Canada will continue to welcome refugees through the Private Sponsorship of Refugees Program during this temporary pause, in line with the admissions targets set out in the 2026–2028 Immigration Levels Plan. Sudan Canada remains deeply concerned with the situation in Sudan and empathizes with those affected. When the conflict broke out in April 2023, the Government of Canada took swift action to support those impacted. At the onset of the crisis, IRCC immediately prioritized temporary and permanent residence applications already in its inventory for those affected by the conflict. In February 2024, IRCC launched a family-based permanent residence pathway to help people impacted by the conflict in Sudan reunite permanently with their family members in Canada and expanded it a year later to facilitate permanent residence for approximately 10 000 people. Application intake has closed and as ofApril 30, 2026, approximately 3 015 people had arrived in Canada under this measure. In February 2025, IRCC also committed to resettling up to 4 000 Sudanese government assisted refugees by the end of 2026 and a further 700 refugees through private sponsorship. IRCC is on track to meet both of these commitments by the end of 2026. IRCC continues to prioritize the processing of both temporary and permanent residence applications already in our inventory for those affected by the conflict in Sudan. Between April 2023 and April 2026, a total of approximately 25 800 people (19 555 for permanent residence and 6 254 for temporary residence) has been approved to come to Canada under various temporary and permanent residence programs. Temporary Resident Permits remain available and are issued on a case-by-case basis for individuals facing compelling and urgent circumstances. IRCC is committed to continuing our humanitarian response while managing immigration in a way that is fair, orderly and sustainable.