Canada's refugee protection claims drop in January 2026 as backlog stabilizes near 300,000

Canada's Immigration and Refugee Board processed 6,456 new refugee protection claims in January 2026, marking a notable decline from previous months, according to recently released statistics. The agency finalized 6,663 claims during the same period, resulting in a slight reduction in the pending caseload to 299,960. Meanwhile, refugee appeals continued their upward trend with 1,037 new filings and 984 finalizations, bringing the pending appeals to 4,742. Immigration appeals saw 301 new cases filed and 364 finalized, bringing the non-stayed pending caseload to 2,488.

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