In Canada, fewer people are now asking for protection as refugees. This is because the country is giving out fewer visas, making it harder for people from other countries to come in. Many groups helping refugees are worried that people who really need help might be left with no safe place to go.
How Many People Are Affected?
In January 2025, about 11,840 people asked to stay in Canada as refugees. That might sound like a big number, but it’s actually a lot less than before. Back in July 2024, nearly 20,000 people were asking for help each month! This is the lowest number of refugee claims since September 2023.
Why is This Happening?
Canada’s government is now being stricter about who gets visas. A visa is a special permission that lets someone enter the country. The country has been facing problems, like too many people coming in at once and not enough resources (like homes and jobs) to help them all. So, officials are making changes to slow things down.
Last year, Canada gave out about 1.5 million visitor visas, but that’s a big drop from 1.8 million visas the year before. That means 300,000 fewer people got a chance to visit the country!
Which Countries Are Affected the Most?
Some countries have seen huge drops in the number of visas Canada gives. For example:
- Bangladesh: From 45,322 visas in 2023 → 27,975 visas in 2024
- Haiti: From 8,984 visas → 5,487 visas
- Nigeria: From 79,378 visas → 51,828 visas
Even people from countries that often get refugee status in Canada are being affected:
- Afghanistan: From 468 visas → 330 visas
- Iran: From 57,127 visas → 38,075 visas
- Uganda: From 6,096 visas → 2,019 visas
- Syria: From 2,716 visas → 1,174 visas
- Kenya: From 11,464 visas → 3,199 visas
What Does This Mean for Refugees?
Right now, over 278,000 people are still waiting for their refugee status to be decided. Canada does not have a special visa just for asylum-seekers. That means people who want to ask for protection have to:
- Come as a visitor, student, or worker
- Try to sneak into the country (which is really hard because Canada is mostly surrounded by water)
- Stay in refugee camps for years, hoping they will be chosen to move to Canada
What the Government Says
Officials say they are now watching visa applications more carefully from countries where too many people enter on visitor visas but then apply for asylum. They say this will protect the refugee process so that only people who truly need help can get it.
Why Refugee Groups Are Worried
Many refugee helpers, like Diana Gallego from the FCJ Refugee Centre in Toronto, say this is very dangerous for people escaping war or threats.
“If someone is running away from danger, their only chance might be a visa. If they can’t get one, they have no choice but to risk their lives crossing borders illegally,” Gallego said.
Her group is seeing fewer refugees arriving in Canada, but she fears many of them are now stuck in dangerous situations.
“It’s like invisible walls are keeping them out,” she said.
The Big Picture
Canada is trying to slow down the number of refugees coming in by giving out fewer visas. While the government says it is doing this to protect resources, refugee groups fear that people who really need safety will be left with no choice but to take life-threatening risks to escape.
