Canada hit record number of refugee claims, among largest globally
Canada is one of the largest recipients of refugees in the world, setting a record number of claims last year, according to the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR).
The agency released its global trends report, revealing that 123.2 million people were forcibly displaced worldwide at the end of 2024 “as a result of persecution, conflict, violence, human rights violations or events disturbing public order.”
According to the data, Canada received 174,000 refugee claims last year, making it the fourth largest recipient of asylum seekers globally. Ahead of it are Germany with 229,800 claims, Egypt with 433,900 claims, and the United States with 729,100 applications.
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Canada also resettled 49,300 refugees last year, primarily from Eritrea (15,500),
Afghanistan (8,900), Syria (6,600) and Somalia (4,900). This makes it the second-largest resettlement country in the world, behind the U.S., which resettled 105,500 in 2024.
When it comes to granting permanent residency, Canada accounted for the largest share globally, with 27,400 individuals becoming permanent residents.
This report comes after the Liberal government proposed its Strong Border Act (Bill C-2), which human rights organizations like Amnesty International have criticized as “an attack on the human right to seek asylum.”
The legislation proposes to amend the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act to allow authorities to cancel, suspend or change immigration documents, pause the acceptance of new applications, and pause or cancel the processing of applications for “matters of public health or national security.”
“Seeking asylum is a human right,” said Ketty Nivyabandi, secretary general of Amnesty International Canada’s English-speaking section, in a statement.
“With Bill C-2, the Canadian government threatens to chip away at that right, making it harder for people seeking safety and freedom to file an asylum claim and have it assessed fairly. This attack on the right to seek asylum will severely diminish Canada’s international standing when it comes to protecting human rights.”
Ottawa also introduced Bill C-3 earlier this month, which would extend Canadian citizenship by descent beyond the first generation.
Both bills still need to pass both the House of Commons and the Senate and receive Royal Assent before these changes can be implemented.
Check out other ways Canada’s immigration rules are set to change this year.