Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Lena Metlege Diab rises during question period on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on June 5, 2025. Refugees make much less in direct benefits from the federal government than some online posts claim. The Canadian Press/Adrian Wyld
The Immigration Department suggested extending a freeze on most private refugee sponsorship applications by three more years to clear backlogs in the system, according to documents obtained by The Canadian Press.
Last November, the federal government paused approvals of refugee resettlement applications filed by community organizations or groups of five individuals looking to bring someone from a refugee camp abroad into Canada—a move which caught refugee advocates off-guard.
