Protection First: How Canada Selects Refugees for Resettlement

1. Citizenship and Immigration Canada Citoyenneté et Immigration Canada Protection First:How Canada Selects Refugees for Resettlement Photo: Mae La Oon Refugee Camp, Thailand Vancouver Public Library and Canadian Red Cross “Taking Refuge Among Us” A Story to Tell and a Place for the Telling Series Vancouver, B.C. - January 15, 2008 Debra Pressé, Director, Resettlement Division, Refugees Branch

2. Global Refugee Situation • 9.9 million refugees in 2006. • 6 million have been in exile for over 5 years and most are hosted in developing countries. • Only 100,000 refugees are resettled annually. • Less than 1% are resettled • 18 countries resettle refugees • Canada one of the largest resettlement countries (about 10% of global resettlement; BC receives about 9% of those resettled to Canada)

3. Canada’s Resettlement Program • Global program: 10,000 – 11,000 resettled refugees annually • Global numbers static but targets within geographic areas shift • Two streams • Government assisted – 7,300 - 7,500 • Privately sponsored – 3,300 - 4,500 • All entitled to settlement assistance support

4. Selection Principles and Priorities • Global program but Canada can’t admit all refugees. • Decisions about commitments based on humanitarian objectives, protection need, capacity and resources. • Priorities for Canada: • Physical protection needs • Iraqis, Eritreans, Colombians • Strategic use of resettlement • Bhutanese, Somali • Managing down protracted refugee situations • Karen, Afghans

5. Decision-Making Process • Domestic • Levels and FPT consultations • Humanitarian objectives • Refugees = 4%-6% of total immigration • International • Annual target setting exercise with: • UNHCR • overseas embassies and • other resettlement countries

6. Past Priorities: Top Ten Source Countries

7. Priorities for 2008 and Beyond • In 2008, Canada will resettle: • 1,000 Karen refugees from Burma (Myanmar) • 2,000 Iraqi refugees in Syria and Jordan • 900 Afghan refugees in Central Asia • 1,900 Colombians in Colombia and Latin America • 2,200 African refugees from the Horn of Africa and Great Lakes region • 2,000 others from around the world • Starting in 2009 Canada will resettle: • 5,000 Bhutanese refugees in Nepal

8. Destining in Canada • Provincial targets for government sponsored refugees • Refugees are ‘matched’ to a city • Government sponsored refugees matched to one of 23 centres in Canada • Privately sponsored refugees matched to family/sponsor’scity

9. Resettlement to Vancouver • About 5% of all immigrants to BC are refugees • 1,000 refugees arrive Vancouver annually: • 800 Government Assisted Refugees • Balance - Privately Sponsored, asylum claimants, dependants • Afghanistan is top source country for resettled refugees. In 2006, second source country was Burma (Karens).

10. Settlement Impacts • Youth: • 40% of resettled refugees are under the age of 18. Refugee youth often do not have the same level of formal education as Canadian youth their age. • Health: • Resettled refugees across Canada are arriving with significant health concerns. Examples: malnutrition, psychosocial issues, lack of prior dental care. • Other barriers: • On average, upon arrival, resettled refugees have less formal education, less official language ability, and larger families than other immigrants.

11. Photo credit: Vancouver Refugee Services Alliance (www.vrsa.ca) Questions? www.cic.gc.ca debra.presse@cic.gc.ca 613 957-5833