Statistics

How many refugee claimants arrive in Canada?

In 2022, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) estimates over 100 million people forcibly displaced. Almost 5 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 35,000 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 2022 record 91,935 refugee claims in Canada reflects the troubling increase of people forcibly displaced and seeking refuge in our world today.

Source: Government of Canada