OTTAWA — The Immigration Department suggested extending a freeze on most private refugee sponsorship applications by three more years to clear backlogs in the system, according to documents obtained by The Canadian Press.

Last November, the federal government paused approvals of refugee resettlement applications filed by community organizations or groups of five individuals looking to bring someone from a refugee camp abroad into Canada — a move which caught refugee advocates off-guard.

The memorandum that enacted that decision, obtained by The Canadian Press through the access-to-information law, suggests that the freeze could be extended to late 2028 if Ottawa wants to clear its backlog of applications.

Immigration Minister Lena Diab and her department have not yet said whether the freeze on applications will be lifted at the end of this year or be extended another three years.

The Canadian Council for Refugees is urging Ottawa to revive the private refugee sponsorship program, saying groups are already preparing applications to file in the new year and a long pause would undermine the tradition of communities welcoming refugees.

The group is also waiting anxiously for Ottawa to publish its immigration targets around the start of November, and is hoping the government does not make further cuts to refugee quotas.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 12, 2025.

Dylan Robertson, The Canadian Press