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Recent History
Canada has a rich history of welcoming refugees to our country. Recent highlights include:
1956-57 | 37,500 Hungarian refugees accepted |
1968-69 | 11,000 Czechoslovakian refugees received |
1972 | 6175 Ugandan refugees welcomed |
1973 | 6000 Chileans granted refugee status |
1975-78 | 9000 Indochinese resettled |
1979-80 | 60,000 Vietnamese, Cambodian and Laotian "boat people" |
1999 | 7000 Kosovars accepted |
In 2005, Canada was the third largest country resettling refugees, behind only the USA and Australia.
United States | 53,800 |
Australia | 11,700 |
Canada | 10,400 |
Sweden | 1,300 |
Finland | 770 |
Norway | 750 |
Canada's annual refugee resettlement
Over the past ten years, Canada has resettled an average of 22,500 refugees each year.
In 2001, Canada welcomed 35,000 refugees. However, in 2005, only 14,600 were received. Flows fluctuate based on a number of factors, including world events, UN requests, active military involvement, outstanding claims and political influence. Canada is the fifth-largest refugee-receiving country among the top 50 industrial nations.
In Canada the distribution of refugees by province is heavily weighted toward Ontario and Quebec. The table below highlights this distribution imbalance:
Province Refugee Claimants |
Ontario | 10,226 |
Quebec | 4,112 |
British Columbia | 802 |
Alberta | 324 |
Manitoba | 46 |
Nova Scotia | 32 |
Saskatchewan | 14 |
New Brunswick | 13 |
Other Atlantic Provinces | 14 |
Other Territories or Provinces | 942 |
Total | 16,525 |
A refugee claimant receives Canada's protection when he or she is found to be a Convention refugee, as defined by the United Nations' 1951 Geneva Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees, and its 1967 Protocol.
Refugees in Ontario In Past 10 Years
Based on Immigration and Refugee Board Documents
Canada Recognizes 2 Types of Refugees
Sponsored Refugees: They are called "resettled refugees" They might have been waiting in one of the world's many emergency refugee camps, where they were fortunate enough to be selected for resettlement in Canada. People in this category are granted permanent residency (landed status) when they arrive in Canada.
Persons who make their own way out of the country or situation they are fleeing. After reaching Canada by land, sea or air, they apply for asylum through the in-land refugee determination system. If they are carrying valid identity documents, they can live in the community while they await the hearing that is the first step of the refugee determination system. If their documents are missing or are suspicious, they are held in detention. They enter a waiting process while it is determined whether they are refugees, after which they may be given permanent resident status.
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