Question Period Note: Refugee Resettlement During COVID-19

COVID-19 has impacted the ability of Canada and other countries to protect refugees through resettlement.

PROPOSED RESPONSE:
• The world is facing a refugee crisis and Canada will continue to do its part, as a global leader in refugee resettlement.
• Canada has a proud humanitarian tradition of protecting the world’s most vulnerable people and we continue to provide resettlement protection to those in need.
• At the end of 2020, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees called Canada “a bright light in a horrible year for refugee resettlement” and, in 2021, acknowledged that Canada continued to be a strong resettlement country even as others reduced their number of arrivals.
• Despite COVID restrictions, and the need to carefully manage the health and safety of Canadians, through our refugee programs Canada was able to safely resettle 9,235 refugees in 2020 and over 20,400 refugees in 2021.
If pressed
• More specifically, to date Canada has welcomed over 7,100 vulnerable Afghans as resettled refugees.
• The Government of Canada remains firm in its commitment to meet its existing refugee resettlement targets for 2022, as well as to resettle additional vulnerable Afghans to Canada.

BACKGROUND:
• As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, a number of temporary measures were implemented, including travel restrictions, to protect the health and safety of Canadians and reduce the spread of COVID-19. These measures continue to have an impact on resettlement movements for overseas refugees.
• Refugee resettlement to Canada was also greatly affected by travel restrictions imposed by other governments, restrictions on domestic movements in the refugee’s country of residence/asylum, and operational constraints at IRCC offices overseas due to COVID-19 restrictions. Continued resettlement of refugees throughout the pandemic risked potentially placing refugees who were already in vulnerable situations at further risk due to the possibility of contracting COVID-19, or by resettling them at a time when sponsors or service providers were unable to support the refugees on arrival.
• Canada’s border restrictions impacted resettlement arrivals in 2021. Resettlement travel increased after June 21, 2021 when all applicants for permanent residence, including refugees for resettlement, who had a valid Confirmation of Permanent Residence (COPR) document, were permitted to enter Canada. Prior to that, only persons who held a valid COPR issued on or before March 18, 2020, were exempt from Canada’s travel restrictions. Those who held a valid COPR issued after March 18, 2020, could only come to Canada if they met another exemption.
• In addition to the changes to the border restrictions that improved resettlement travel, other factors also improved in 2021 including easing of travel restrictions overseas, increasing capacity of sponsors and service providers in Canada and processing improvements due to the implementation of new operational processes within the Department’s processing network.
• Overall, Canada has reached its 2021 admissions target and welcomed more than 401,000 permanent residents. Through our refugee programs Canada was able to safely resettle over 20,400 refugees in 2021.
• IRCC continues to facilitate travel for all government-assisted and privately sponsored refugees where sufficient capacity to receive refugees in Canada is confirmed. IRCC also continues to expedite resettlement of refugees in need of urgent protection. Canada’s resettlement partners overseas play a key role in facilitating resettlement application processing overseas and assisting with arrangements for travel to Canada.
• Recognizing that some COVID-19 travel requirements are particularly challenging for resettled refugees, the Department worked closely with Health Canada to get an exemption to ArriveCan, which allows IRCC to use an alternative process for refugees to provide the required information.
• A credible quarantine plan must be provided to the Resettlement Operations Centre in Ottawa (ROC-O) for all sponsored refugees before travel is scheduled. As such, sponsors must ensure that they have the capacity and the ability to support refugees in light of the COVID-19 situation, in addition to the requirements of their sponsorship undertaking.
• IRCC is maintaining regular contact with service provider organizations and private sponsors in Canada to provide them with consistent information on federal policy responses to COVID-19, as well as to raise their awareness of resources and tools that are available in multiple languages, and guidance on counselling newcomers on COVID-19 measures. The Refugee Sponsorship Training Program (RSTP) has regular COVID-19 updates on its website, including RSTP services that are available virtually, as well as COVID-19 information in multiple languages.
• For resettled refugees already in Canada, service provider organizations and private sponsors are focusing on delivering critical resettlement and settlement services in light of COVID-19 operational constraints. This includes income support, immediate and essential services, case management, including critical medical appointments and crisis counselling, and medical referrals and interpretation. Non-critical services may be provided by some organizations by telephone, email or online.
• Canada intends to uphold its international commitments, and will continue to facilitate refugee resettlement as conditions allow, which includes ensuring that there are appropriate measures in place to support the refugees upon arrival.
Afghanistan Commitment
• The Government of Canada also remains firm in its commitment to meet its existing refugee resettlement targets for 2022, as well as to resettle additional vulnerable Afghans to Canada. This is being done through several programs:
o There is a special immigration program for Afghan nationals, and their families, who assisted the Government of Canada.
o We also implemented a humanitarian program to resettle vulnerable Afghan nationals outside of Afghanistan. This includes persons who are part of one of the following groups: women leaders; human rights defenders; persecuted religious or ethnic minorities; LGBTI individuals; and journalists and those who helped Canadian journalists.
o A special family reunification program to help extended family members of former Afghan interpreters who came to Canada under programs in 2009 and 2012 was also recently launched.
• As of January 18, 2022, the Department has received over 14,740 applications (in persons) under the special immigration program for Afghans who assisted the Government of Canada. Of these, 9,815 applications (in persons) have been approved; with 4,290 arrivals in Canada. We have also welcomed 2,850 Afghan nationals under the humanitarian program.
• Afghan government-assisted refugees quarantine for 14 days upon arrival to Canada. COVID-19 tests are administered before departure to Canada, and then again on day 1 and day 8 of their quarantine stay.
• Currently, during the Omicron outbreak, IRCC is very closely monitoring the situation. This includes being in regular contact with municipal, provincial and federal public health authorities as well as other partners.
• We continue to check in on clients, deliver food and essentials, and provide support and services remotely. Additionally, vaccination clinics are regularly held at the Port of Entry hotels.
• Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) is also prioritizing applications of eligible family members joining Afghans currently in Canada.

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