Raison d'être
The Immigration and Refugee Board (IRB) is an independent, accountable administrative tribunal established by Parliament on January 1, 1989, to resolve immigration and refugee cases fairly, efficiently and in accordance with the law. The
IRB ensures continued benefits to Canadians: by only accepting refugee claimants needing protection in accordance with international obligations and Canadian law; by contributing to the integrity of the immigration system, the safety and security of Canadians and upholding Canada's reputation of justice and fairness for individuals; and promoting family reunification. The
IRB also contributes to the quality of life of Canada's communities by strengthening our country's social fabric and by reflecting and reinforcing core values that are important to Canadians. These include respect for human rights, peace, security and the rule of law. The Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship is responsible for this organization.
Mandate and role
The
IRB is Canada's largest independent administrative tribunal. It is responsible for making well-reasoned decisions on immigration and refugee matters, efficiently, fairly and in accordance with the law. The
IRB decides, among other responsibilities, who needs refugee protection among the thousands of claimants who come to Canada annually.
Operating context
The Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada (IRB or the Board) is responsible for making well-reasoned decisions on immigration and refugee matters, efficiently, fairly, and in accordance with the law. This is done within a global environment of increasing migration and shifting mobility patterns. The
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees noted that, globally, 1.6 million new claims were filed in the first half of 2023.
The Board operates within a context that can be unpredictable. Intake of refugee claims is now well beyond the
IRB's funded processing capacity. For example, in 2023, the annual asylum intake more than doubled to approximately 140,000 claims (a year-over-year increase of 128%). This was an all-time historic high for the Board. The forecasted increase in referrals from
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada and the
Canada Border Services Agency will also have an impact on inventories and wait times for the
IRB's Refugee Protection Division, Refugee Appeal Division, and Immigration Appeal Division. The Immigration Division could also see an increase in referrals from the recent surge of refugee claims. With intake volumes exceeding funded processing capacity, the Board is facing pressure on existing processes and resources to finalize decisions.
The
IRB is one part of the immigration and refugee continuum, which is facing pressure overall. The Board's success is linked in part to its partners' ability to cope with demand, and on the entire immigration and refugee system being able to keep up with rising intake volumes. While the
IRB has grown and continues to become increasingly efficient, the ecosystem, which includes legal counsel, interpreters, and other immigration and refugee stakeholders, must also be able to address the increasing number of claims.
The Board's previous strategic plan coupled with successive Budgets allocating both permanent and temporary investments, helped the
IRB respond to the challenges of growing inventories and longer wait times for refugee cases. While
Budget 2022 provided the Board with an additional top-up investment of $87 million for fiscal year 2023 to 2024 and fiscal year 2024 to 2025 to process the forecasted rise in refugee claims over this period, this will sunset at the end of fiscal year 2024 to 2025. The
IRB is developing and will implement a new strategic direction, “Horizon 26-27”, to better position the Board to deliver on its mandate in a time of high demand.