Auditor general calls for online application portal for refugees amid severe backlogs
CTV
Refugees are being left behind by Canada's oversized immigration backlogs, and the federal auditor general is calling on the government to immediately create a way for them to apply online.
Refugees are being left behind by Canada's oversized immigration backlogs, and the federal auditor general is calling on the government to immediately create a way for them to apply online.
A report from Auditor General Karen Hogan released on Thursday suggests that while processing times improved for most permanent residency programs in 2022, they remained long for refugee and humanitarian programs.
Some applicants had waited almost three years for a decision,and as of the end of last year, 99,000 refugee applications were still waiting to be processed.
"Many applicants will wait years for a decision in the current processing environment," Hogan said in her report.
Since the audit period ended last year, the immigration department has posted up-to-date information about how backlogs have evolved for several immigration streams, but refugee application backlogs are not included.
Hogan said refugees would benefit from a secure online application process that was recently introduced for other immigration streams, and is calling for it to be created "without further delay."
As it stands, potential refugees must email their application in to the department, where the information is manually entered into the system.
