July 15, 2026
The Honourable Lena Metlege Diab, PC, M.P.
Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship
Re: CCR Recommendations for 2027 Immigration levels
Dear Minister Diab,
As you plan the immigration levels for 2027 and beyond, we urge you to take account of the global context of mass displacement. One in every 70 people, or 1.4 per cent of the world’s population, is forcibly displaced. The worldwide situation for refugees makes Canadian leadership more critical than ever.
This is also an opportunity to show our country at our best. Welcoming refugees is fundamental to Canadian values. Year after year, thousands of people in every province and territory have built community and connection through sponsoring, resettling, and supporting refugees seeking safety in the promise of Canada. Refugees gain a safe home, and Canada gains future citizens who strengthen our communities, enrich our culture, create jobs, and build our economy.
In recent years, refugees in need of safety and a permanent home have been disproportionately affected by the immigration cutbacks. Since 2023, Canada’s refugee resettlement levels have been cut by 43%, compared to 18% for immigration levels overall.
We have the will, the capacity and the expertise to welcome and resettle more refugees.
We call on you to set a target of 15% of total immigration levels for resettled refugees, (Government-Assisted and Privately Sponsored) – compared to just 8% in 2026.
This overall resettlement target should include at least 20,000 Government Assisted Refugees. Government-Assisted Refugees are among the most vulnerable people, chosen by the UNHCR because of their particular need. With the withdrawal of the US, the UNHCR is relying on Canada more than ever.
With respect to people accepted in the refugee determination system in Canada, we welcome the government’s special initiative, announced last year, to provide permanent residence to 115,000 Protected Persons over 2026 and 2027, in addition to the levels target. This measure was urgently needed, because a large backlog had formed. As a result of the initiative, there has been a significant decrease in processing times for Protected Persons outside of Quebec. However, the initiative does not directly address family members overseas. And since it is a one-time initiative, it cannot solve the longstanding problem of the immigration targets being insufficient for the number of Protected Persons applying. Without action, a new backlog will inevitably develop, leaving Protected Persons in limbo and separated from family members overseas, who are often in precarious situations.
A structural solution is necessary – and the special initiative can provide a model.
We call on you to re-design the system so that Protected Persons receive permanent residence automatically. The Immigration and Refugee Protection Act should be amended so that, barring any inadmissibility issues, accepted refugees acquire permanent residence by operation of law, without the need for an application. This would avoid the issue of needing to provide space in the immigration levels and would free up IRCC time and resources. It would also meet the objectives of the special initiative to “ensure that those in genuine need of Canada’s protection have their permanent status recognized, accelerating their full integration into the Canadian society and their path to citizenship, and upholding Canada’s international humanitarian obligations”.
In the interim, we call again for Temporary Resident Permits to be issued to family members overseas of Protected Persons, to put an end to the intolerable delays in family reunification, with their particularly damaging impacts on children. Temporary Resident Permits would allow family members to travel to Canada, ensuring that families are reunited while their permanent residence application is being processed.
Until a permanent solution is implemented to eliminate delays in access to permanent residence for Protected Persons, we urge that targets for Protected Persons be adequate to the numbers of people applying, using the precedent of the special initiative as necessary.
With respect to levels planning for temporary residents, the precarious situation of migrant workers, which exposes them to exploitation, continues to be a major concern, as is the false narrative linking temporary residents to pressures on housing and other services. Introducing targets to reduce the numbers of temporary residents in Canada is not the way to address the problem of their precarity nor to build economic prosperity for all.
We urge you to review immigration policies to ensure that people who will be living here long-term either arrive as permanent residents or are able to transition quickly to permanent residence. The recent initiative to transition 33,000 temporary workers to permanent residence is a good but insufficient step in this direction. In the interim, while migrant workers are in Canada with only temporary status, it is essential that they receive better protections from exploitation, including through provision of open work permits, and equal access to social services.
We commend to you the submission we made last year on the immigration levels. Our concerns and recommendations remain valid today.
We urge you to listen to the voices of thousands of Canadians who are calling on the government to welcome more refugees and help make this a country where all families can thrive.
Because we are truly better together.
Yours sincerely,
Asma Faizi
President
cc. Ted Gallivan, Deputy Minister