Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada Ministerial Briefing Binder – August 2023

Table of contents
  1. The Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada (IRB)
    1. IRB Overview
    2. IRB Regions and Office Locations
    3. Tribunal Independence
  2. Organizational Structure and Biographies
    1. Senior Leader Biographies
    2. IRB Organizational Structure
  3. Financial and Human Resources
  4. Appointment and Reappointment of GIC Members
  5. Operating Context and IRB’s Growth and Transformation Agenda
  6. 2022-23 Results
    1. Refugee Protection Division (RPD)
    2. Refugee Appeal Division (RAD)
    3. Immigration Division (ID)
    4. Immigration Appeal Division (IAD)
  7. Inventory Analysis
    1. Refugee Protection Division (RPD)
    2. Refugee Appeal Division (RAD)
    3. Immigration Division (ID)
    4. Immigration Appeal Division (IAD)
  8. Stakeholders
  9. Notes

Information is redacted pursuant to paragraph 21(1)(a) of the Access to Information Act:

  • 21(1)(a) – advice or recommendations developed by or for a government institution or a minister of the Crown

The Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada (IRB)

IRB Overview

Key Messages

  • The Immigration and Refugee Board (IRB) is the country’s largest administrative tribunal.
  • The IRB reports to Parliament through the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship.
  • The IRB’s mission is to resolve immigration and refugee cases efficiently, fairly and in accordance with the law.
  • The IRB has four divisions: the Refugee Protection Division, the Refugee Appeal Division, the Immigration Division, and the Immigration Appeal Division.
  • Decision-makers at the Refugee Protection Division and the Immigration Division are appointed to their position according to the Public Service Employment Act, while decision-makers at the Refugee Appeal Division and the Immigration Appeal Division are Governor-in-Council (GIC) appointees.
  • The IRB also has employees reporting to its Executive Director who deliver a range of strategic, corporate and operational services to the IRB’s senior leadership and decision-makers.

Overview

  • Created by an Act of Parliament in 1989, the IRB is Canada’s largest administrative tribunal. Like every administrative tribunal, the IRB must exercise its decision-making authority independently, in a manner that is fair, transparent, efficient, and in accordance with the rules of natural justice. The primary statutory framework governing the IRB and defining the basic features of its organizational structure is the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA), which became law in 2002 and was substantively reformed in 2012.
  • The IRB’s mission, on behalf of Canadians, is to resolve immigration and refugee cases efficiently, fairly and in accordance with the law. The IRB reports to Parliament through the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship and contributes directly to Canada’s humanitarian traditions, the security of Canada and the quality of life of Canadians, as well as to the fulfillment of international obligations. It consists of four tribunals, known as “divisions”:
    • Refugee Protection Division (RPD) makes determinations of whether a claimant meets the definition of a refugee under the 1951 UN Refugee Convention (i.e. due to a fear of persecution by reason of race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group or political opinion) or a person in need of protection (i.e. because they face torture, a risk to life or risk of cruel and unusual treatment or punishment) under the IRPA. The RPD also hears applications for cessation or vacation of refugee protection. A person may cease to hold their refugee status if they are found to have re-availed themselves of the protection of their country of nationality or have obtained protection from another country. A person can have their refugee status vacated if they obtained their status by means of misrepresentation or withholding material facts. In either of these situations, the MinisterNote 1 can make an application which, if allowed by the RPD, will result in the protected person losing their refugee protection.
    • Refugee Appeal Division (RAD) considers appeals against decisions of the RPD to allow or reject claims for refugee protection. In most cases, there will be no hearing as the RAD will base its decision on the documents provided by the parties involved and the RPD record. The RAD decides whether to confirm or to substitute its own decision in place of the RPD’s decision. It may also decide to send the case back to the RPD to hear it again, giving directions to the RPD that it considers appropriate. In addition, the RAD has an important role in clarifying matters of refugee law and shaping refugee decision-making at both the RPD and RAD by advancing its adjudicative role and the strategic development of coherent and consistent jurisprudence.
    • Immigration Division (ID) conducts hearings on immigration-related matters. These include:
      • Admissibility hearings: Where the Minister believes that a permanent resident or foreign national is inadmissible to or removable from Canada, the matter may be referred to the ID for an admissibility hearing. Grounds for inadmissibility include for example security; human rights or international violations; criminality; and misrepresentation. Where a finding of inadmissibility is made, the ID will issue a removal order against the person concerned.
      • Detention reviews: The Division conducts detention reviews of foreign nationals or permanent residents detained by the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) under the IRPA. The CBSA has the authority to detain foreign nationals and permanent residents for a number of reasons, including in situations where the Agency believes the individual is inadmissible to Canada; is a danger to the public; is unlikely to appear for immigration processes; or in cases where a foreign national is unable to establish their identity. Detention review hearings are required by law to be held at regular intervals beginning at 48 hours of detention or as soon as possible afterwards, with subsequent reviews being held after 7 days and then after every 30 days for as long as the person remains detained. The law requires the ID to order the release of a detainee unless one of the prescribed grounds for detention is met. Grounds for detention include danger to the public; unlikely to appear for an examination, a hearing or removal; inadmissibility for security reasons; serious criminality, criminality, organized criminality or violating human or international rights; or non-establishment of identity. At a detention review, the onus is always on the Minister’s counsel to demonstrate that there are reasons which warrant detention in consideration of all circumstances of the case.
    • Immigration Appeal Division (IAD) hears appeals on immigration-related matters. These include:
      • Sponsorship appeals: If Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has refused the application of a Canadian citizen or a permanent resident to sponsor the immigration of a close family member to Canada, the sponsor may appeal to the IAD. Sponsorship appeals represent the majority of the Division’s workload.
      • Removal order appeals: A removal order issued by the ID or by the CBSA against a permanent resident of Canada, protected person or holder of a permanent resident visa may be appealed to the IAD. For example, if a permanent resident was found to have committed a serious crime or for having committed misrepresentation, the person concerned may, with certain exceptions, file an appeal to be allowed to stay in Canada and maintain their permanent residence status.
      • Ministerial appeals: The Minister may file an appeal to the IAD to challenge an ID decision at an admissibility hearing in favour of the person concerned.
      • Residency obligation appeals: The law requires permanent residents to be physically present in Canada for at least 730 days out of every five years. If a permanent resident is outside Canada and a visa officer with IRCC finds that they have not met this residency obligation, the person may lose permanent resident status. The permanent resident may appeal the decision to the IAD.
  • In addition to its four Divisions, the IRB also has employees reporting to its Executive Director who deliver a range of strategic, corporate and operational services to the Board’s senior leadership and decision-makers. These support functions include:
    • Adjudicative Support which consists primarily of professional support to decision-making (e.g., management of correspondence, scheduling of cases, triage, file preparation, research, case management, management of interpretation services and of designated representatives, and analytics around operational performance). It also consists of professional advice and support in relation to the development of the Board’s adjudicative and operational policies.
    • Corporate Support which consists of functions required to support the management of the Board through corporate, strategic, and administrative activities and services (e.g., planning and reporting, evaluation, finance, policy development, information technology, accommodations, security, human resources, access to information and privacy, partner and stakeholder engagement, and communications).
  • Geographically, IRB operations are managed across three regions: Western, Central and Eastern. The IRB has offices in five cities: Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal, with itinerant sites in Edmonton and Winnipeg. The IRB’s National Headquarters are in Ottawa.
  • Please refer to the attached Tab 1.B showing IRB office locations and the employee complement in each office.

IRB Regions and Office Locations

Text version​

Total Budget 2022-23

$300M*

Total full-time employees (FTEs):

2,505*
Full-time equivalent employee totals are based on permanent and temporary funding currently in place or planned.

Total adjudicative decision-makers (“members”)

580*
Current complement of adjudicative decision-makers

Ottawa
Headquarters

344 Slater St
427 Laurier Ave

  • 580 FTEs*
  • 45 members*
Regions
WesternCentralEastern

Areas of coverage:

  • Yukon
  • Northwest Territories
  • British Columbia
  • Alberta
  • Saskatchewan
  • Manitoba

Areas of coverage:

  • Ontario (except Ottawa and Kingston)

Areas of coverage:

  • Nunavut
  • Quebec
  • Newfoundland
  • New Brunswick
  • Nova Scotia
  • Prince Edward Island
  • Kingston (Ontario)
  • Ottawa (Ontario)

Vancouver

Library Square

  • 310 FTEs*
  • 80 members*

Calgary

Harry Hays Building

  • 40 FTEs*
  • 25 members*

Toronto
Refugee Protection Division, Refugee Appeal Division and Immigration Appeal Division

74 Victoria St

Immigration Division

385 Rexdale Blvd

  • 870 FTEs*
  • 280 members*

Montreal

200 René Lévesque Blvd W
800 René Lévesque Blvd W
715 Peel St

  • 705 FTEs*
  • 150 members*

Notes:
* Numbers are approximate.

Tribunal Independence

Key Messages

  • The IRB is characterized by both adjudicative independence and by a degree of institutional independence.
  • The IRB reports to Parliament through the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship.

Background
The IRB as an Administrative Tribunal

  • As an administrative tribunal, the Immigration and Refugee Board (IRB or the Board) is characterized by both (i) individual decision-maker (“adjudicative”) independence and (ii) a degree of institutional independence.
  • Maintaining an appropriate degree of independence is important because it enhances public confidence in the institution where both the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship and the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness appear as parties, and allows the Ministers to stay at arms-length from the difficult and often sensitive decisions that are made by IRB decision-makers.

Ministerial Engagement

  • In this context, where a tribunal enjoys a degree of independence and at the same time the Minister is ultimately accountable for its effective functioning, Open and Accountable GovernmentNote 2 sets out examples of both appropriate and inappropriate communications and interventions by the Minister. Appropriate areas for the Minister to engage include:
    • The exchange of views on matters of general relevance to both parties, such as management and budgeting, the IRB’s mandate and enabling legislation, the Minister’s responsibility to answer for the Board in Parliament, and portfolio coordination;
    • Communication of the government’s broader agenda, and its possible impact on the IRB;
    • Communication with the Board concerning the potential impact of proposed legislation or other initiatives; and
    • Communication with the IRB concerning the effectiveness with which the current legislative framework supports the Board in delivering on its mandate.
  • Conversely, based on the principles of independence set out above and to respect the integrity of the adjudicative processes, there are areas where the Minister, political staff, and departmental officials must not communicate with the IRB, including in regard to:
    • Any specific cases currently before a decision-maker, except as permitted through the Minister’s counsel’s participation in an IRB proceeding (hearing or written submissions to a proceeding) or by way of a general update; and
    • Requests made to schedule or postpone a specific hearing, except through a proper application made under the IRB Rules of the appropriate division.

Organizational Structure and Biographies

Senior Leader Biographies

Roger Ermuth - Executive Director and Chief Financial Officer  

Manon Brassard - Chairperson

Manon Brassard was appointed Chairperson and Chief Executive Officer of the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada effective July 23, 2023.

Prior to her appo​intment, Ms. Brassard held the position of President of the Canada Economic Development Agency for Quebec Regions from 2016. From 2010 until 2016, Ms. Brassard held the positions of Assistant Deputy Minister at Citizenship and Immigration Canada, at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and at the Treasury Board Secretariat, after serving in a number of executive roles in various public sector organizations.

Ms. Brassard began her public service career with the Board in 1989, where she served in a number of roles, including Senior Legal Adviser and Director General of the Policy, Planning and Research Branch.

Ms. Brassard has a Bachelor of Laws from the Université of Laval and was called to the Bar of Quebec in 1984.

Roger Ermuth - Executive Director and Chief Financial Officer  

Roger Ermuth - Executive Director and Chief Financial Officer

Roger started with the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada in October 2021. Prior to his appointment, Roger was an Assistant Comptroller General with the Office of the Comptroller General where he had responsibility for public accounts, community development and government-wide policy related to financial management, transfer payments, costing, and charging.

Roger has held a number of positions across the federal public service, including Vice President, Health Security and Infrastructure at the Public Health Agency of Canada and Deputy Chief Financial Officer at Correctional Services Canada. He has also worked at the Privy Council Office, Indian and Northern Affairs, Agriculture Canada and the Canada Revenue Agency.

In recognition of his contributions to the accounting profession, he was admitted as a Fellow of Chartered Professional Accounts (FCPA-FCMA). Roger also has an MBA from the University of Ottawa, a graduate certificate from Harvard University and a BComm from Carleton University. Prior to joining the government, he worked for PricewaterhouseCoopers. Roger was also a Moderator with the legacy CMA (accounting) program and part time instructor at the University of Ottawa’s MBA program.

Roula Eatrides - Deputy Chairperson of the Refugee Protection Division  

Roula Eatrides - Deputy Chairperson of the Refugee Protection Division

Roula Eatrides was appointed Deputy Chairperson of the Refugee Protection Division (RPD) in September 2019. Ms. Eatrides joined the IRB in 2018 as Deputy Chairperson of the Immigration Division (ID). Previously, she was the Deputy Superintendent for Operations and Corporate Services at the Office of the Superintendent of Bankruptcy. Ms. Eatrides has also served as Executive Director and General Counsel at the Federal Court and as Registrar of the Tax Court of Canada. Prior to joining the Public Service, Ms. Eatrides practiced law at Osler and Stikeman Elliott and was a part-time professor at the University of Ottawa's Common Law Program for several years.

Ms. Eatrides is a member of the Ontario Bar and holds an undergraduate degree in Economics, a Bachelor of Laws Degree and a Master’s Degree in Business Administration.

Suzanne Gilbert - Deputy Chairperson of the Immigration Appeal Division 

Suzanne Gilbert - Deputy Chairperson of the Immigration Appeal Division

Suzanne Gilbert was appointed Deputy Chairperson of the Immigration Appeal Division (IAD) at the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada (IRB) in April 2019. Prior to this appointment she held the position of Assistant Deputy Chair (ADC) of the IAD Central Region. From 2006 to 2016, Ms. Gilbert held a number of positions, including Chair and Associate Chair for the Social Justice Tribunals Ontario with the Child and Family Services Review Board and Custody Review Board. Prior to that appointment, she worked in a number of positions at the IRB in Montreal and Toronto, including Assistant Deputy Chairperson of the Refugee Protection Division in Toronto.

Ms. Gilbert holds a Master's Degree in Health Law from the Université de Sherbrooke.

Paula Thompson - Deputy Chairperson of the Refugee Appeal Division  

Paula Thompson - Deputy Chairperson of the Refugee Appeal Division

Paula Thompson was appointed as the Deputy Chairperson of the Refugee Appeal Division (RAD) in April 2019. Ms. Thompson has also served as Assistant Deputy Chairperson at the RAD. Previously, as IRB Chief of Staff, she provided strategic leadership and policy advice to a number of former IRB Chairpersons. Ms. Thompson has extensive experience in refugee law and adjudication and has held a number of executive positions within the IRB. Paula has also worked with the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) in Bosnia-Hercegovina, Romania and Ukraine.

Ms. Thompson has a Master of Laws degree in International Human Rights Law from the University of Essex in the United Kingdom. An expert in minority rights in the former Soviet Union and Eastern Europe, Paula has also studied at the University of Vienna and Carleton University. She is a recipient of the Public Service Award of Excellence.

Greg Kipling - Deputy Chairperson of the Immigration Division  

Greg Kipling - Deputy Chairperson of the Immigration Division

Greg Kipling was appointed Deputy Chairperson of the Immigration Division (ID) in October 2019. Prior to this appointment he was Director General for Policy, Planning Corporate Affairs at the IRB. Between 1999 and 2016 Mr. Kipling served in a number of progressively senior positions at the Board, including Director of Research, Chief of Staff to the Chairperson and Director General for Policy, Planning and Research. Prior to joining the IRB, Mr. Kipling worked as a consultant in the field of Indigenous health and human rights as well as a researcher and writer on social issues.

Mr. Kipling holds Bachelor of Arts degrees from the University of Toronto and Carleton University as well as a Master of Arts degree from Carleton University.

Julie Wellington - Senior General Counsel 

Julie Wellington - Senior General Counsel

Julie Wellington was appointed Senior General Counsel of the IRB Legal Services in May 2021. Previously, Ms. Wellington served as Director and General Counsel at Justice Canada, Fisheries and Oceans Legal Services, where her main client was the Canadian Coast Guard. Prior to that, she spent almost 20 years in the Constitutional, Administrative and International Law Section at Justice Canada, where she practiced mainly in administrative law and constitutional law. In addition to her practice, she was an instructor for a number of professional development courses, including the Basic Principles of Administrative Law, Liability of the Crown, Crown Immunity and Solicitor-Client Privilege in the Government Context. She held several senior roles, including Deputy Director General and General Counsel and Acting Director General and Senior General Counsel. She began her career at Justice Canada in the Competition Law Division, providing advisory and litigation services.

Ms. Wellington is a member of the Law Society of Ontario and holds a Bachelor of Commerce (B. Comm) and a Bachelor of Laws Degree (L.L.B) from the University of Ottawa.

Raymond Kunze - Ombudsperson  

Raymond Kunze - Ombudsperson

Raymond Kunze was appointed as the IRB’s first Ombudsperson in October 2020. Previously, Mr. Kunze served as Chief Audit Executive at Global Affairs Canada (2019-2020), Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (2015-2019) and Infrastructure Canada (2012-2015). At the latter two departments, he also served as the Senior Officer responsible for internal disclosures. Prior to this, he held a variety of positions, including Director, Performance Audits at the Office of the Auditor General of Canada from 1998 to 2012.

Mr. Kunze holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Economics and a Master’s Degree in Natural Resource Management from the University of Manitoba. He is a Certified Internal Auditor and a Certified Leadership Coach.

IRB Organizational Structure

Text version

IRB Chairperson – Manon Brassard

Executive Director and Chief Financial Officer - Roger Ermuth

  • Chief Innovation and Technology Officer – Irwin Bess
  • Director General, Human Resources – Kevin Whitehouse
  • Deputy Chief Financial Officer – Paul Mokha
  • Director General, Strategic Directions and Corporate Affairs – Heather Primeau
  • Director General, Operations and Regional Services – Christian Laverdure
    • Director, Regional Operations (Eastern) – Daniel Sobczak
    • Director, Regional Operations (Western) – Stephanie Strong
    • Director, Regional Operations (Central) – Neil Willard

Chief of Staff - Evan Travers

Senior General Counsel – Julie Wellington

Deputy Chairperson, Refugee Protection Division (RPD) – Roula Eatrides

  • Assistant Deputy Chairperson, RPD (Eastern) – John Szekula
  • Assistant Deputy Chairperson, RPD (Western) – Karin Michnick
  • Assistant Deputy Chairperson, RPD (Central) – Catherine Smith
  • Assistant Deputy Chairperson, RPD (Quality Center) – Negar Azmudeh
  • Assistant Deputy Chairperson, RPD (Taskforce on Less Complex Claims and Gender Related) – John Hutchings

Deputy Chairperson, Immigration Division (ID) – Greg Kipling

  • Assistant Deputy Chairperson, ID (Eastern) – Isabelle Germain
  • Assistant Deputy Chairperson, ID (Western) – Alice Tang
  • Assistant Deputy Chairperson, ID (Central) – Heather Gibbs

Deputy Chairperson, Immigration Appeal Division (IAD) – Suzanne Gilbert

  • Assistant Deputy Chairperson, IAD (Eastern) – Caroline Labranche
  • Assistant Deputy Chairperson, IAD (Western) – Linda Taylor
  • Assistant Deputy Chairperson, IAD (Central) – Tsering Sergong

Deputy Chairperson, Refugee Appeal Division (RAD) – Paula Thompson

  • Assistant Deputy Chairperson, RAD (Ottawa) – Laura Brittain
  • Assistant Deputy Chairperson, RAD (Eastern) – Roxane Vachon
  • Assistant Deputy Chairperson, RAD (Western) – Jody Brennan
  • Assistant Deputy Chairperson, RAD (Central) – Angus Grant

Ombudsperson – Raymond Kunze

Financial and Human Resources

  • The IRB has seen significant growth over the last few years – the largest in the Board’s 30-year history. The growth in the IRB’s budget and employee complement has been substantial, with the Board essentially doubling in size and budget between 2017-18 and 2021-22.
  • Through Budget 2022, IRB and other partners in the refugee determination system received the following funding:
    • $1.3 billion over five years starting in 2022-23; and
    • $331.2 million per year ongoing, to support increased capacity for Canada’s asylum system.
  • Budget 2022 made a significant commitment to the Board by permanently funding the previous temporary investment into the Board's salary and operating budget (i.e., ongoing funding of $150 million per year from fiscal year 2023-24). That permanent funding has allowed the IRB to stabilize its workforce at approximately 2,100 funded full-time equivalents (FTEs).
  • This funding has enabled the Board to more than double the number of decision makers at the Refugee Protection Division and Refugee Appeal Divisions, and hire additional support staff so that the Board can process up to 50,000 refugee claims and 13,500 refugee appeals a year, slowing the growth of the inventory of refugee claims and appeals and associated wait times from where they would otherwise be. 
  • In addition, Budget 2022 announced a further, temporary, investment of $87.5M over two years, for the purpose of hiring additional staff (over 300 FTE, including 100 members) to process an additional 10,000 refugee claims over a two-year period (2,500 in 2023-24 and 7,500 in 2024-25). The Board continues to grow with temporary investments, with plans to expand to 2,431 FTEs by the end of 2025.
  • The IRB’s planned total funding in Fiscal Year 2023-24 is $332M, composed of:
    • $270M in permanent base funding; and
    • $62M in temporary funding; which includes $24M in top-up funding for additional claim processing, $37M of reprofiled funds from previous budget announcements and $1M in temporary funding for Measures for Ukrainian Nationals.
  • The IRB plans to have approximately 2,368 FTE employees in place by the end of Fiscal Year 2023-24, in order to finalize up to 76,900 files in the year.
Available Financial Resources (millions)
2017-18 Actual Authorities2018-19 Actual Authorities2019-20 Actual Authorities2020-21 Actual Authorities2021-22 Actual Authorities2022-23 Actual Authorities2023-24 Planned Authorities2024-25 Planned Authorities2025-26 Planned Authorities
$138$173$230$295$296$300$332*$323*$270*

*As per the 2023-24 Departmental Plan.

Human Resources (FTEs)
2017-18 Actual FTEs2018-19 Actual FTEs2019-20 Actual FTEs2020-21 Actual FTEs2021-22 Actual FTEs2022-23 Actual FTEs2023-24 Planned FTEs2024-25 Planned FTEs2025-26 Planned FTEs
1,0571,2451,5771,7782,0282,1692,368*2,431*2,090*

*As per the 2023-24 Departmental Plan.

Note: Current figures do not include reduction relative to Budget 2023 initiative: Refocusing Government Spending.

Appointment and Reappointment of GIC Members

Overview

  • Immigration Appeal Division and Refugee Appeal Division decision-makers are appointed by the Governor in Council (GIC) — the Governor General acting on the advice of Cabinet. Appointments are made on the recommendation of the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship following an open, transparent, and merit-based selection process.
  • The Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada (IRB or the Board) has the largest number of GIC appointees in a single organization in the Government of Canada and has seen its GIC complement grow by almost 30% in the last four years because of the increase in asylum claims and immigration appeals.
  • The GIC member complement is permanently funded for 131 full time equivalents (FTE) Refugee Appeal Division decision-makers and 47 FTE Immigration Appeal Division decision-makers. 
  • As of August 2023, 20% of the IRB’s utilized GIC decision-maker positions were vacant.

Immediate needs and recruitment strategies

  • A full complement of decision-makers enables the Board to provide timely access to justice for immigration and refugee claimants. Therefore, the IRB will continue to work closely with your office and the Privy Council Office (PCO) to maintain a full complement of GIC decision-makers, and to ensure that the composition of the appeal divisions reflects operational, linguistic, gender and diversity requirements.
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  • Consistent and timely appointment recommendations are paramount to the IRB’s ability to maintain a viable GIC decision-maker complement. At this time, IRB is closely working with your office to finalize a selection process that launched in December 2022. Appointment recommendations of candidates who qualified in that selection process, and previous processes, will allow the IRB to fill its current vacancies.
  • Collaboration between our offices is critical to launching another selection process as early as next fiscal year. Regular selection processes allow the IRB to maintain a pool of highly qualified candidates from which to fill vacancies as they arise.
  • Finally, the IRB is committed to working with your office on broadening its recruitment approach to ensure that GIC decision-makers are reflective of Canada’s diversity.

Operating Context and IRB’s Growth and Transformation Agenda

Text version

Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada
IRB Growth and Transformation Agenda

Growth

B2018-B2020:
$600M / 5 years to April 2023

B2022:
$150M ongoing + $87M flexible funding over 2 years

Transformation

Productivity

  • Culture of performance and results
  • Efficiency measures from intake to recourse
  • Task Force on Less Complex Claims
  • Innovation

Quality

  • Quality Assurance Framework
  • Chairperson’s Guidelines
  • Gender-Related Task Force

Management

  • System-wide approach
  • Managing COVID: Respond, Recover, Re-imagine
  • Digital Agenda
  • Organizational Culture
Results

IRB: Doubling in Size

Budget
2017-182018-192019-202020-212021-222022-23
$138M$173M$230M$295M$296M$300M
FTE
2017-182018-192019-202020-212021-222022-23
1,0501,2501,6001,8002,1002,370

IRB: A Performing Organization

2018-2023

  • Consistently met or exceeded performance commitments

2018-192019-202020-21
(2020 Pandemic)		2021-222022-23
Commitment32,00040,70047,82655,00055,600
Finalizations up to commitment32,00040,70039,50855,00055,600
Finalizations above commitment2,8581,8234,1653,441

2020-2023

  • 58% reduction in actionable inventory since the pandemic2
  • Wait times for actionable cases:
    • 14 months for new claims
    • 4 months for new appeals
Refugee claims and appeals actionable inventory
May-2096,450
Jun-2095,242
Jul-2093,390
Aug-2092,061
Sep-2090,099
Oct-2088,179
Nov-2086,263
Dec-2084,072
Jan-2176,563
Feb-2171,588
Mar-2161,567
Apr-2159,608
May-2159,804
Jun-2158,975
Jul-2159,186
Aug-2157,966
Sep-2157,036
Oct-2155,355
Nov-2152,547
Dec-2151,336
Jan-2249,358
Feb-2245,781
Mar-2241,657
Apr-2242,935
May-2243,440
Jun-2245,388
Jul-2246,505
Aug-2247,780
Sep-2247,902
Oct-2249,336
Nov-2251,116
Dec-2252,768
Jan-2354,230
Feb-2355,393
Mar-2356,416
Apr-2356,629
May-2361,140

UNHCR identified Canada as 1 of only 4 countries that were able to significantly reduce backlogs of pending refugee cases in the first full year of the pandemic3.

IRB Quality Assurance Framework: an International Best Practice

  • Plan Do Monitor and Measure Adjust

IRB's Digital Transformation

  • 96% of hearings held remotely since January 2021
  • Over 100,000 hearings held virtually
  • 97% satisfaction rate in refugee claim post-hearing survey
Outcomes
  • Improved Access to Justice and Public Confidence

1Refugee claims and appeals.
2Refugee claims and appeals that are not pending upstream processes, as of May 31, 2023.
3UNHCR Global Trends Report 2021, published June 2022.

2022-23 Results

Refugee Protection Division (RPD)

Refugee Protection Division (RPD) – FY 2022-23 in Review
Text version
2022-23 Monthly Targets
Monthly decisions and targetsAPRMAYJUNEJULYAUGSEPTOCTNOVDECJANFEBMARTotal
Target: 50,00013,4064,151 3,806 3,572 3,803 3,900 4,600 4,603 3,949 4,476 4,726 5,008 50,000
Actual decisions3,4074,1493,8153,3253,6543,5073,7104,3393,7264,2074,4505,87548,164
Actual decisions (YTD)3,4077,55611,37114,69618,35021,85725,56729,90633,63237,83942,28948,16448,164

1Funded capacity assuming pre-pandemic intake levels.

Key Indicators
Key indicators (12-month period ending on March 31, 2023)
Intake:79,234 claims
Finalizations:48,164 claims
Inventory: (as of March 31, 2023)Overall: 85,145 claims
Actionable: 54,493 claims
Expected wait times for new claims:Overall: 20 months
Actionable claims: 13 months

2022-23 Strategic Case Management Priorities: Year-to-Date Results

Processing Time
Average processing time21 months
Target: less than 2 yrs for average processing time
Percentage of claims decided within 24 months of referral62%
Target: 50% of funded capacity decided within 24 months of referral
Volume of claims decided within 24 months of referral29,920
Target: 25,0002

2Derived as a percentage of plan for 50,000 decisions.

Age of Inventory
Claims currently over 3 yearsClaims at risk of 3 years
Claims pending over 3 years7%0%
Target: at most 5% of claims pending over 3 years
Claims currently over 2 yearsClaims at risk of 2 years
Claims pending over 2 years9%0%
Internal target: at most 10% of claims pending over 2 years
< 12 months 1-2 years 2+ years
Percentage of inventory80%11%9%
Inventory Status
Non actionableTo be scheduledScheduledHeard
Percentage of Inventory36%34%27%3%
Legend
GreenYellowRed
Increase to planned results required to meet target0% or lessUp to 10%Over 10%

Refugee Appeal Division (RAD)

Refugee Appeal Division (RAD) – FY 2022-23 in Review
Text version
2022-23 Monthly Targets

Monthly decisions and targets

APR

MAY

JUNE

JULY

AUG

SEPT

OCT

NOV

DEC

JAN

FEB

MAR

TOTAL

Target: 10,6001

851

957

1,000

689

858

845

840

870

780

930

990

990

10,600

Actual decisions

846

848

1,043

726

856

880

893

977

848

822

876

1,259

10,874

Actual decision (YTD)

846

1,694

2,737

3,463

4,319

5,199

6,092

7,069

7,917

8,739

9,615

10,874

10,874

1Adjusted at mid-year to reflect current GIC appointments or re-appointments.

Key Indicators
Key indicators (12-month period ending on March 31, 2023)
Intake:10,249 appeals
Decisions:10,874 appeals
Inventory: (as of March 31, 2023)4,328 appeals
Expected wait times for new appeals:5 months

2022-23 Strategic Case Management Priorities: Year-to-Date Results

Processing Time
Average processing time5 months
Target: no more than 8 months for average processing time
Percentage of planned decisions finalized within 12 months of appeal perfected94%
Target: 80% of planned decisions finalized within 12 months of appeal perfected
Volume of planned decisions finalized within 12 months of appeal perfected9,264
Target: 8,4802

2Derived as a percentage of plan for 10,600 decisions. 

Age of Inventory
Appeals currently over 18 monthsAppeals at risk of 18 months
Appeals pending over 18 months2%0%
Target: less than 5% of appeals pending over 18 months
Appeals currently over 12 monthsAppeals at risk of 12 months
Appeals pending over 12 months4%0%
Internal target: less than 10% of appeals pending over 12 months
< 90 days3-12 months12+ months
Inventory volume and percentage2,184 (50%)1,939 (45%)205 (5%)
Inventory Status
Non-actionable3Actionable
Appeals pending24% (1,026)76% (3,302)

3Non-actionable cases are appeals for which RAD is awaiting documentation before being able to proceed.

Legend
GreenYellowRed
Increase to planned results required to meet target0% or lessUp to 10%Over 10%

Immigration Division (ID)

Immigration Division (ID) – FY 2022-23 in Review
Text version
2022–23 Monthly Targets

2022-23 monthly targets

APR

MAY

JUNE

JULY

AUG

SEPT

OCT

NOV

DEC

JAN

FEB

MAR

TOTAL  

Admissibility hearing - Target: 1,2001

100

100

90

90

90

100

110

110

90

110

100

110

1,200

   Intake

78

103

122

105

134

91

143

196

114

133

111

124

-

   Actual decisions

95

109

115

108

125

97

123

127

95

92

121

158

1,365

   Intake (YTD) 

78

181

303

408

542

633

776

972

1,086

1,219

1,330

1,454

-

   Actual decisions (YTD) 

95

204

319

427

552

649

772

899

994

1,086

1,207

1,365

-

Detention review - Target: 7,3001 

555

613

642

584

642

584

584

643

584

613

750

750

7,300

   Intake

565

574

685

579

733

830

965

806

742

824

782

938

-

   Actual decisions

580

572

667

571

692

779

920

869

736

793

778

954

8,911

   Intake (YTD)

565

1,139

1,824

2,403

3,136

3,966

4,931

5,737

6,479

7,303

8,085

9,023

-

   Actual decisions (YTD)

580

1,152

1,819

2,390

3,082

3,861

4,781

5,650

6,386

7,179

7,957

8,911

-

   Variance from intake (YTD)

3%

1%

0%

-1%

-2%

-3%

-3%

-2%

-1%

-2%

-2%

-1%

-

1April 1 planned target.

Key Indicators
Key indicators (12-month period ending on March 31, 2023)
Total intake:10,477
Admissibility hearings decisions:1,365
Detention review decisions:8,911

2022–23 Strategic Case Management Priorities: Year-to-Date Results

Admissibility Hearings (AH)
Output to Intake Ratio
AH output to intake ratio 94%
Target: 100% of AH output to intake ration
Processing Time
AH concluded within 9 months89%
Target: 80% of AH concluded within 9 months
Projected Wait Times for New Admissibility Hearings
Projected wait time for new admissibility hearings5 months
Age of Inventory
Less than 6 months6-12 months13+ months
Admissibility hearings pending344 (67%) 81 (16%) 91 (18%)
Inventory Status
Non actionableActionable
Admissibility hearings pending10 (2%)488 (98%)
Detention reviews (DR)
Output to Intake Ratio
DR output to intake ratio99%
Target: 98% of DR output to intake ratio
Time Compliance - Legislated Requirement
Overall98%
Actual results: 48 hour 98%
Actual results: 7 day 97%
Actual results: 30 day 99%
Target: 96% for all types of detention reviews
Legend
GreenYellowRed
Increase to planned results required to meet targetWithin 2%Up to 10%Over 10%

Immigration Appeal Division (IAD)

Immigration Appeal Division (IAD) – FY 2022-23 in Review
Text version
2022-23 Monthly Targets

Monthly decisions and targets

APR

MAY

JUNE

JULY

AUG

SEPT

OCT

NOV

DEC

JAN

FEB

MAR

TOTAL

Target: 3,0001

228

252

264

240

264

240

240

264

240

252

240

276

3,000

Actual decisions

249

265

280

242

248

252

257

245

252

301

284

339

3,214

Actual decisions (YTD)

249

514

794

1,036

1,284

1,536

1,793

2,038

2,290

2,591

2,875

3,214

3,214

1Resourced capacity (assumes stable intake).

Key Indicators
Key indicators (12-month period ending on March 31, 2023)
Intake:3,082 appeals
Decisions:3,214 appeals and stay decisions
Inventory: (as of March 31, 2023)2,199 appeals
Expected wait times for new appeals:6 months

2022–23 Strategic Case Management Priorities: Year-to-Date Results

Processing Time
Percentage of planned decisions finalized within 8 months of record received 94%
Target: 80% of planned decisions finalized within 8 months of record received
Volume of planned decisions finalized within 8 months of record received 2,810
Target: 2,4002
Percentage of planned decisions finalized and 1st stays within 12 months of appeal filed 90%
Target: 80% of planned decisions finalized and 1st stays within 12 months of appeal filed
Volume of planned decisions finalized and 1st stays within 12 months of appeal filed 2,633
Target: 2,4002

2Derived as a percentage of plan for 3,000 decisions.

Average processing time7 months
Target: no more than 1 year average processing time
Age of Inventory3
Appeals currently over 12 months Appeals at risk of pending over 12 months
Appeals pending over 12 months 5%0%
Target: no more than 20% of appeals pending over 12 months
<12 months 12+ months
Appeals pending1,529 (95%) 83 (5%)

3Stayed appeals are excluded from the inventory.

Inventory Status
Non actionableActionable
Appeals pending41% (902)59% (1,257)
Legend
Green Yellow Red
Increase to planned results required to meet target 0% or less Up to 10% Over 10%

Inventory Analysis

Refugee Protection Division (RPD)

Overall

Regular Claims
12-month period ending
Dec 31, 2019Dec 31, 2020Dec 31, 2021Dec 31, 2022Jan 1-May 31, 2023
Received43,00015,10023,20039,70026,700
Finalized28,30017,20034,20037,40016,800
Pending58,50056,40045,50047,80057,700
Irregular Claims
12-month period ending
Dec 31, 2019Dec 31, 2020Dec 31, 2021Dec 31, 2022Jan 1-May 31, 2023
Received16,2004,1001,60020,90019,800
Finalized15,6009,30014,8009,2003,900
Pending29,90024,80011,50023,20039,100
All Claims
12-month period ending
Dec 31, 2019Dec 31, 2020Dec 31, 2021
Dec 31, 2022Jan 1-May 31, 2023
Received59,20019,20024,80060,60046,500
Finalized43,90026,50049,00046,60020,700
Pending88,50081,20057,00071,00096,800

The RPD received an intake of 60,600 cases in 2022, 145% more than the previous year. This increase in intake, beginning with the border reopening in the fall of 2021, is continuing in 2023 with 9,300 new claims received on average per month from January to May inclusively. This represents an 85% increase of monthly intake compared to 2022.

The RPD finalized approximately 46,600 claims in 2022, a decrease of 6% over the previous year. This decrease was fully offset by a strong Q4 in 2022-23, which resulted in the RPD finalizing 48,164 claims in 2022-23, the highest number of annual finalizations since the 2012 Refugee Reform.

Text version
The majority of the inventory is less than 1 year old
Less than 12 months81%
12 months and older19%
Diverse inventory with almost half concentrated in 5 source countries
Top 5 countries48%
Other 163 countries52%
The proportion of irregular claims in inventory is in steady increase since the reopening of the border in the fall of 2021
Regular60%
IBC40%

Inventory

Growth: At the end of May 2023, the pending inventory comprised more than 96,800 claims, an increase of more than 75%, or 41,700 claims in a year, and 4% over the previous historic peak of 93,000 claims in May 2020. Over 80,000 referrals are expected to be received at the IRB in 2023-24.

Status: As of the end of May 2023, 27% of pending claims were already heard or on the schedule, and 40% were non-actionable due to pending security or documents. The balance remaining to be scheduled represents 33% (or approximately 7 months of work).

Actionable and non-actionable inventory: Prior to the pandemic (March 2020), the volume of actionable claims (e.g., claims ready to be scheduled for a hearing) in the inventory was significant enough that non-actionable claims (e.g., claims that cannot be scheduled for a hearing due to pending security or documents) had little to no impact on RPD operational efficiencies. Between September 2020 and April 2022, the volume of non-actionable claims in the inventory grew while actionable claims were significantly reduced. Since April 2022, intake has exceeded capacity and both actionable and non-actionable inventories have grown along with expected wait times.

Age: 81% of pending claims were less than 1 year old (received between June 2022 and May 2023).

  • 48% of cases were received in 2023.
  • 41% of cases were received in 2022.
  • 5% of cases were received in 2021.
  • 6% of cases were received in or prior to 2020.

Region: 52% of the inventory was in Eastern (Montreal) region, 40% was in Central (Toronto) region, and 8% was in Western (Vancouver) region.

Country Make-up
All Claims Source CountryTotal Claims Pending% of Inventory
Top 10 Countries 35,638 65%
India8,37915%
Mexico7,41013%
Haiti4,5958%
Colombia3,8587%
Iran2,3864%
Turkiye2,3814%
Nigeria2,2114%
Congo, Democratic Republic of1,7253%
Pakistan1,3722%
China1,3212%
Other 157 Countries 19,479 35%
Top 10 Regular Claims
Regular Claims Source CountryRegular Claims Pending% of Regular Inventory
Top 10 countries 37,568 65%
Mexico14,97726%
India6,51911%
Turkiye3,2666%
Colombia3,2106%
Iran3,1465%
Haiti1,8293%
Nigeria1,2382%
Pakistan1,2042%
Sri Lanka1,1082%
Congo, Democratic Republic of the1,0712%
Other 156 countries20,15435%
Top 10 Irregular Claims
Irregular Claims Source CountryIrregular Claims Pending% of Irregular Inventory
Top 10 countries 31,742 81%
Haiti12,56032%
Turkiye5,84615%
Colombia5,10313%
Venezuela1,6334%
Congo, Democratic Republic of the1,3673%
Pakistan1,2543%
Nigeria1,2413%
Afghanistan1,1133%
Angola1,0923%
Peru5331%
Other 110 countries7,34719%

Wait Times

Average processing time for claims finalized in 2022 (i.e., the average age of claims at the time of their decision) was 24 months.

Projected wait time for new claims received as of June 2023 (i.e., the months of work the inventory represents at the Division’s current capacity) is 23 months.

The wait time attributable to non-actionable cases has doubled three times over the last three years from 1 month in October 2020 to 9 months as of June 1, 2023.

Wait time attributable to actionable cases were significantly reduced during the pandemic (from 18 to 4 months) but have since increased to represent 14 months of the total expected wait time of 23 months.

Refugee Appeal Division (RAD)

Overall

Regular Appeals
12-month period ending
Dec 31, 2019Dec 31, 2020Dec 31, 2021Dec 31, 2022Jan 1-May 31, 2023
Received5,7003,9007,1009,1003,000
Finalized4,8005,3007,5008,5003,500
Pending5,2003,9003,4004,0003,500
Irregular Appeals
12-month period ending
Dec 31, 2019Dec 31, 2020Dec 31, 2021Dec 31, 2022Jan 1-May 31, 2023
Received6,2003,0002,9002,100500
Finalized3,9004,3004,8002,500700
Pending4,5003,2001,4001,000700
Total Appeals
12-month period ending
Dec 31, 2019Dec 31, 2020Dec 31, 2021Dec 31, 2022Jan 1-May 31, 2023
Received11,9006,90010,00011,2003,500
Finalized8,7009,60012,30011,0004,200
Pending9,7007,1004,8005,0004,200

The RAD received intake of 11,200 appeals in 2022, representing 24% of Refugee Protection Division finalizations. Over that period, irregular intake comprised 19% of appeals.

The RAD finalized about 11,000 appeals in 2022, a decrease of 11% over the previous year. This decrease was fully offset by a strong Q4 in 2022-23.

Text version
The majority of appeals are less than a year old
0-90 days44%
3-12 months50%
12+ months5%
Diverse inventory with high concentration in 5 source countries
Top 5 countries65%
Other 113 countries35%
Irregular appeals make up less than a quarter of the pending inventory
Regular84%
Irregular16%

Inventory

Growth: At the end of May 2023, the RAD inventory comprised 4,200 appeals, down 21% in 12 months and almost 60% down from its peak of 10,400 in September 2019.

Age: 95% of pending appeals were less than 1 year old (received between June 2022 and May 2023).

Region: 60% of the inventory was in Central (Toronto) region, 29% was in Eastern (Montreal) region, and 11% was in Western (Vancouver) region.

Country Make-up (as of the end of May 2023):
All Appeals Source CountryTotal Appeals Pending% of Inventory
Top 10 Countries 3,070 74%
India1,32332%
Mexico92922%
Nigeria2045%
Colombia1303%
Congo, Democratic Republic of1093%
Haiti1063%
Bangladesh732%
China662%
Angola662%
Lebanon642%
Other 105 Countries 1,099 26%
Top 10 Regular Appeals
Regular Appeals Source CountryRegular Appeals Pending% of Regular Inventory
Top 10 countries2,68977%
India1,30337%
Mexico92427%
Nigeria662%
China642%
Lebanon632%
Colombia622%
Bangladesh612%
Algeria542%
Bahamas532%
Haiti391%
Other 96 Countries79423%
Top 10 Irregular Appeals
Irregular Appeals Source CountryIrregular Appeals Pending% of Irregular Inventory
Top 10 countries49572%
Nigeria13820%
Congo, Democratic Republic of7010%
Colombia6810%
Haiti6710%
Angola588%
Pakistan365%
India203%
Ghana142%
Bangladesh122%
Jordan122%
Other 59 countries19128%

Wait Times

Average processing time for appeals finalized in 2022 (i.e., the average age of appeals at the time of their decision) was 5 months.

Projected wait time for new appeals filed as of June 2023 (i.e.,the months of work the inventory represents at the Division’s current capacity) is 5 months.

Immigration Division (ID)

Overall

Admissibility Hearings
12-month period ending
Dec 31, 2019Dec 31, 2020Dec 31, 2021Dec 31, 2022Jan 1-May 31, 2023
Received1,6881,0921,2091,408683
Finalized1,6549621,2921,283666
Pending402518459583603
Detention Reviews
12-month period ending
Dec 31, 2019Dec 31, 2020Dec 31, 2021Dec 31, 2022Jan 1-May 31, 2023
Received12,1435,8005,8518,2234,186
Finalized12,1365,9695,7418,1804,157
Pending324146252290321

Wait Time

Average processing time for admissibility hearings finalized in 2022 was 6 months.

Projected wait time for new admissibility hearings requested as of June 2023 is 5 months.

Time compliance for all type of detention reviews: target of 96% met.

Immigration Appeal Division (IAD)

Overall
12-month period ending
Dec 31, 2019Dec 31, 2020Dec 31, 2021Dec 31, 2022Jan 1-May 31, 2023
Received4,1492,3452,4262,8461,387
Finalized6,1993,1783,2862,9031,402
Pending3,9993,1662,3062,2492,234

Wait Time

Average wait time for appeals finalized in 2022 was 8 months.

Projected wait time for new appeals filed as of June 2023 is 9 months.

Stakeholders

  • The IRB (or the Board) collaborates closely with a range of partners and stakeholders.

Portfolio partners

  • The IRB, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) and the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) are portfolio partners and collaborate on operational matters while respecting each other's distinct mandates and the IRB's institutional and adjudicative independence.
  • These three organizations are party to a trilateral memorandum of understanding that provides a framework under which organizational priorities are discussed and information is shared as appropriate.
  • In addition, the three partners work within a systems management approach to be more responsive to the changing operational context. At the forefront of these efforts was the establishment of an Asylum System Management Board (ASMB) in 2018, which brings together the Deputy Heads of the IRB, IRCC and CBSA to ensure greater coordination and the effective governance of Canada’s asylum system. Improved horizontal coordination is being achieved through system-wide joint priority setting, trends analysis, performance management and the monitoring of interdepartmental goals.

Central agencies

  • As an administrative tribunal within IRCC’s portfolio, the IRB’s interactions with central agencies (i.e., the Department of Finance, the Treasury Board Secretariat, and the Privy Council Office) are in many cases coordinated by IRCC. However, in specific instances the IRB works directly with central agencies. For example, there are close and sustained interactions between the IRB, your office, and the Privy Council Office in relation to the appointment and reappointment of Governor in Council decision-makers.

External stakeholders

  • The IRB deals with a broad range of stakeholder interests and perspectives, with key groups including lawyers and immigration consultants, provincial legal aid programs and refugee advocacy organizations. The IRB’s stakeholders play a meaningful role in providing on-the-ground perspectives for the Board as it develops and implements new initiatives. Stakeholders are also valuable in assisting the Board in communicating information on its procedures and expectations to those appearing as parties before it.
  • Key stakeholder groups include:
    • Professional associations: Organizations representing lawyers and immigration consultants are a key constituency for the IRB. They communicate Board initiatives, procedures, and expectations to their members, and provide valuable input as the IRB develops and implements new initiatives. These associations include the Association québécoise des avocats et avocates en droit de l’immigration, the Canadian Bar Association, the Canadian Association of Refugee Lawyers, the Canadian Association of Professional Immigration Consultants, and the Refugee Lawyers Association of Ontario.
    • Provincial legal aid programs: Effective representation by legal counsel helps to ensure that application deadlines are met, parties are well prepared and proceedings advance efficiently. In this context, the IRB has collaborative and positive working relations with legal aid programs in key jurisdictions. The IRB Consultative Committee (see below) includes legal aid representation from Ontario, Quebec, and British Columbia.
    • Canadian Council for Refugees (CCR): The IRB has a long standing, positive and collaborative working relationship with the CCR, a national non-profit umbrella organization representing more than 180 groups across Canada involved in the settlement, sponsorship, and protection of refugees and immigrants.
    • United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR): The IRB has a history of close collaboration with the UNHCR spanning over the past three decades. This relationship is multi-faceted, encompassing consultation on IRB policy and operational initiatives; information and data sharing; and cooperation in the delivery of international capacity building, including in the context of current and past efforts to strengthen refugee determination systems in Mexico, Costa Rica and elsewhere in Latin America. As well, the UNHCR has certain authorities under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, for example the entitlement to observe IRB proceedings involving a refugee claimant or a protected person, in line with its responsibility for supervising the application of the 1951 Refugee Convention and its 1967 Protocol.
  • The IRB also interacts regularly with academics and other stakeholder organizations by participating in research projects and external requests for information, sending IRB speakers to events and conferences, and enabling their involvement in the Board’s consultative initiatives.

Immigration and Refugee Board Consultative Committee (IRB CC)

  • The IRB CC serves as the organization’s main forum for dialogue and engagement with key national stakeholder organizations.Note 3
  • Meetings are held both biannually and on an ad-hoc basis, and deal with current and emerging issues of national relevance and mutual concern, as well as focus on the Board's operations as they impact stakeholders. The IRB utilizes this forum to advise its stakeholders of its organizational priorities, gather their views, and consult on specific operational policies and initiatives as appropriate. The biannual meeting has in the past offered a venue for ministerial engagement on issues of interest to yourself and this community. The IRB CC last convened in May 2023.

Notes

The Minister is represented by an officer (Minister’s counsel) from either CBSA (Minister of Public Safety) or IRCC (Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship)

Return to note 1 referrer

Canada. Privy Council Office. 2015. Open and Accountable Government. <https://pm.gc.ca/sites/pm/files/inline-files/oag_2015_english.pdf>, Annex H.

Return to note 2 referrer

External (stakeholder) membership on the IRB CC includes representatives from:

  • Aide juridique Montréal/Laval (1 member)
  • Association québécoise des avocats et avocates en droit de l’immigration (AQAADI) (2 members)
  • Canadian Association of Professional Immigration Consultants (CAPIC) (2 members)
  • Canadian Association of Refugee Lawyers (CARL) (2 members)
  • Canadian Bar Association (CBA) (3 members)
  • Canadian Council for Refugees (CCR) (3 members)
  • Legal Aid British Columbia (LABC) (1 member)
  • Legal Aid Ontario (LAO) (1 member)
  • Refugee Lawyers Association of Ontario (RLA) (1 member)
  • United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) (1 member)​

Return to note 3 referrer






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