Asylum and refugees
Asylum claims and refugee admissions.
113,030 asylum claims were made in Canada in 2025, against 171,690 in 2024. Separately, 58,995 refugees and protected persons became permanent residents.
Data through July 2026Retrieved October 8, 2026Updated monthly, mid-month
Asylum claims per month, last 36 months
| Category | Asylum claimants |
|---|---|
| Aug 23 | 12,390 |
| Sep 23 | 14,875 |
| Oct 23 | 16,295 |
| Nov 23 | 15,895 |
| Dec 23 | 15,485 |
| Jan 24 | 14,675 |
| Feb 24 | 15,930 |
| Mar 24 | 15,465 |
| Apr 24 | 15,280 |
| May 24 | 15,910 |
| Jun 24 | 14,195 |
| Jul 24 | 14,375 |
| Aug 24 | 12,850 |
| Sep 24 | 13,650 |
| Oct 24 | 13,855 |
| Nov 24 | 12,435 |
| Dec 24 | 13,070 |
| Jan 25 | 10,290 |
| Feb 25 | 8,950 |
| Mar 25 | 9,195 |
| Apr 25 | 10,495 |
| May 25 | 8,130 |
| Jun 25 | 9,970 |
| Jul 25 | 12,340 |
| Aug 25 | 9,600 |
| Sep 25 | 9,660 |
| Oct 25 | 9,080 |
| Nov 25 | 7,660 |
| Dec 25 | 7,660 |
| Jan 26 | 6,440 |
| Feb 26 | 5,910 |
| Mar 26 | 6,160 |
| Apr 26 | 3,830 |
| May 26 | 3,600 |
| Jun 26 | 3,310 |
| Jul 26 | 4,040 |
Where claims were made
Per year, by type of office: at airports, at land border crossings, or inland after arriving.
| Category | Airport | Border | Inland | Other Offices |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 2,300 | 4,275 | 9,390 | 0 |
| 2016 | 3,005 | 7,335 | 13,395 | 0 |
| 2017 | 3,835 | 11,590 | 34,790 | 5 |
| 2018 | 6,895 | 21,005 | 26,965 | 0 |
| 2019 | 8,105 | 20,655 | 35,155 | 5 |
| 2020 | 1,830 | 5,645 | 16,040 | 0 |
| 2021 | 3,440 | 8,995 | 12,265 | 5 |
| 2022 | 17,115 | 46,315 | 28,065 | 10 |
| 2023 | 41,280 | 29,855 | 71,985 | 10 |
| 2024 | 42,565 | 15,365 | 113,735 | 25 |
| 2025 | 11,710 | 20,935 | 80,385 | 0 |
| 2026 (Jan–Jul) | 4,140 | 3,830 | 25,320 | 0 |
Source: IRCC, Asylum Claimants – Monthly IRCC Updates. 2026 covers January to July only. The Safe Third Country Agreement was extended to the whole land border on March 25, 2023.
Countries of citizenship of claimants, 2025
From IRCC’s list of the top 25 countries by province.
| Country | Value |
|---|---|
| Haiti | 17,540 |
| India | 17,150 |
| Iran | 6,880 |
| Nigeria | 6,330 |
| Mexico | 4,810 |
| China | 4,335 |
| Pakistan | 3,565 |
| Bangladesh | 3,550 |
| Ghana | 2,820 |
| Colombia | 2,365 |
| Sri Lanka | 2,350 |
| Algeria | 2,080 |
| United States of America | 1,780 |
| Guinea | 1,750 |
| Romania | 1,700 |
Refugees and protected persons who became permanent residents
Per year, by category.
| Category | Protected persons in Canada | Dependants of protected persons | Government-assisted refugees | Privately sponsored refugees | Blended sponsorship refugees |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 8,605 | 3,345 | 9,405 | 9,315 | 780 |
| 2016 | 8,415 | 3,735 | 23,550 | 18,295 | 4,385 |
| 2017 | 9,600 | 4,775 | 8,635 | 16,640 | 1,240 |
| 2018 | 12,665 | 4,895 | 8,070 | 18,515 | 1,125 |
| 2019 | 13,405 | 4,935 | 9,940 | 19,075 | 955 |
| 2020 | 12,825 | 3,360 | 3,845 | 5,290 | 25 |
| 2021 | 31,700 | 8,030 | 10,805 | 9,505 | 55 |
| 2022 | 18,695 | 9,005 | 23,910 | 22,490 | 75 |
| 2023 | 15,720 | 8,040 | 23,300 | 27,600 | 65 |
| 2024 | 18,685 | 8,625 | 19,460 | 29,710 | 25 |
| 2025 | 12,475 | 7,795 | 15,725 | 22,960 | 40 |
| 2026 (Jan–Jul) | 22,095 | 4,095 | 7,710 | 8,630 | 15 |
Source: IRCC, Permanent Residents – Monthly IRCC Updates (open data). 2026 covers January to July only.
Read this first
How to read these numbers.
- An asylum claim is a request for protection; it is not a decision. Decisions are made by the Immigration and Refugee Board and are not in this dataset.
- Resettled refugees are selected abroad and arrive as permanent residents. Protected persons made a claim in Canada and were accepted.
- Country of citizenship describes the person, not why they left. We do not rank or compare communities.