Canada·Feature

Canada's refugees by the numbers: the data

This is data for the CBC News feature, Where Canada's refugees come from by the numbers.

The data on this webpage was pulled together for the CBC News feature, Where Canada's refugees come from: by the numbers. Below are these tables and graphs:
When you see this navigation tool below, use it to browse additional spreadsheet columns.
  1. Refugee arrivals, Canada, 2005-2014
  2. Refugees landed in Canada, plus dependants, 2004-2013
  3. Refugees admitted to Canada, 2014
  4. Government-assisted and privately sponsored refugees, Canada, 2014
  5. Refugee claims accepted by the IRB, 1989-2015
  6. IRB refugee status determinations, 1989-2015
  7. Refugee status determinations by the IRB, Jan.-June 2015
  8. Top 5 countries, IRB refugee status determinations, 2010-2015


1.

Source: Citizenship and Immigration Canada


2.

Source: UNHCR


3. 

(Numbers are approximations due to rounding by CIC.)


4. Government-assisted and privately sponsored refugees, top 10 countries, 2014 

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           
CountryGovernment-assisted refugeesCountryPrivately sponsored refugees
Iraq2,170Eritrea1,150
Iran1,020Syria700
Congo945Somalia590
Somalia460Iraq580
Eritrea435Afghanistan 525
Syria385Ethiopia415
Bhutan350Congo115
Burma305Pakistan75
Burundi225Stateless70
Colombia175Sudan45
Top 10 total 6,4704,265
Total7,5754,560

(Numbers were rounded by CIC.)

Source: Citizenship and Immigration Canada


5. Refugee claims accepted by the IRB, per cent of finalizations, 1989-2015

Source: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada


6.

Source: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada


7.

Source: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada


8. IRB acceptances, top 10 countries, 2010-15

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   
  Number of refugees accepted 
201020112012201320142015 Jan-June
Haiti2,490Haiti1,440China626Pakistan690China907China414
Colombia1,266Mexico1,042Colombia482China535Pakistan858Pakistan383
China881China957Haiti571Syria440Syria678Hungary347
Mexico653Nigeria840Hungary448Hungary406Colombia409Iraq299
Nigeria593Somalia646Mexico568Colombia386Afghanistan395Syria261
Sri Lanka513Colombia639Nigeria521Sri Lanka286Hungary339Nigeria194
Afghanistan412Pakistan433Pakistan500Afghanistan275Nigeria331Afghanistan185
Somalia382Afghanistan392St. Vincent308Egypt247Iraq324Colombia146
Iran270Iran329Somalia354Iran227Egypt297Eritrea142
Pakistan255St. Vincent288Sri Lanka371Haiti216Iran255Libya140

Source: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada

The IRB receives claims from the Canada Border Services Agency or Citizenship and Immigration Canada for people seeking refugee protection from within Canada. According to CIC, claims may not be eligible for referral to the IRB if that person:

  • Has been recognized as a Geneva Convention refugee by another country to which they can return;
  • Has already been granted protected person status in Canada;
  • Arrived via the Canada-United States border;
  • Is not admissible to Canada on security grounds or because of criminal activity or human rights violations;
  • Has been convicted of a serious crime;
  • Has made a previous refugee claim that was found to be ineligible for referral to the IRB;
  • Has made a previous refugee claim that was rejected by the IRB
  • Abandoned or withdrew a previous refugee claim.

now