Ottawa –

Canada is pausing private refugee sponsorships from groups of five or more people and community organizations to help clear a backlog of applications. 

The notice was published on the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada website today. 

The pause is effective immediately and runs until Dec. 31, 2025. 

The government says applications received annually far outpace the number of spaces for private refugee sponsorships. 

The government has set a target of admitting 23,000 privately sponsored refugees in its 2025-27 immigration plan, while the total refugee target for next year is just over 58,000 people. 

The Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada says there are over 85,000 pending refugee claims as of the end of October. 

__

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 29, 2024.