Canada’s reputation as a world leader in refugee resettlement is under fire after newly released documents revealed that Ottawa considered keeping its freeze on most private refugee sponsorship applications in place until December 2028 — more than three years longer than originally announced.
The move, introduced last November, abruptly halted new applications from community groups and volunteers while slashing quotas for sponsorship agreement holders. The government said it was necessary to bring a ballooning backlog under control. But the internal memo obtained through access-to-information shows officials believed a four-year freeze would be required to get processing times back to an 18-month target.
Advocates warn that such a prolonged pause risks dismantling Canada’s globally celebrated private sponsorship model. “You extinguish hope, not just for the refugees,” said Gauri Sreenivasan, co-executive director of the Canadian Council for Refugees. “You disappoint and demotivate a network of people in Canada who have actively committed to do this work.”
The backlog stood at about 100,000 applications last fall, with wait times averaging more than three years. Yet refugee groups say they’ve seen little progress despite the freeze, and they fear Ottawa’s October immigration targets could further shrink humanitarian quotas at a time when global displacement is at record levels.
Critics argue that the Carney government is wrongly conflating refugee arrivals with pressures on housing and public services, which are largely linked to temporary residents such as foreign students. They say Canada should be stepping up its humanitarian commitments — not scaling them back.
“We are actually renowned around the world for the private sponsorship program,” Sreenivasan said. “Instead of stepping forward at a time of rising global need, we’ve been very concerned to see Canada stepping back.”