Statistics

How many refugee claimants arrive in Canada?

At the end of 2022, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) estimates over 108 million people forcibly displaced. Almost 6 million of these are refugee claimants (asylum seekers), people outside their home countries on a quest toward safety and protection.

Since 2011, an average of 43,000 people arrived in Canada seeking refugee protection as refugee claimants each year.  The fewest number of claims was in 2013 (10,365). The COVID-19 global pandemic (2020-2021) severely limited movement for those seeking safety. The 2023 record of 144,000 refugee claims in Canada reflects the troubling increase of people forcibly displaced in our world today who are seeking refuge.

Source: Government of Canada