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. The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees notes that migration and shifting mobility patterns continue to grow and shift around the world as a result of people facing persecution, conflict, violence and human rights violations, and globally, 1.9 million new claims were filed in the first half of 2024. During this period, Canada ranked 6th amongst the top countries that received new claims. In this context, the Board will continue to rise to this challenge. The IRB will start the new fiscal year with an inventory of approximately 170,000 refugee claims that are ready for adjudication. Considering targeted annual finalizations of up to 85,000 for the Refugee Protection Division (RPD), the opening inventory level represents approximately two years of work. The RPD will focus on implementing further efficiency measures and obtaining stable funding, to address the challenges with this level of inventory.
The Board's success is linked in part to the ability of its partners (e.g., legal counsel, interpreters, and other immigration and refugee stakeholders) to cope with demand and on the entire system being able to keep up with the unprecedented number of claims. Additionally, the Board continues to work with central agencies, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada and the Canada Border Services Agency to ensure a stable and sustainable source of funds.
Building on past accomplishments and successive Budget allocations, both permanent and temporary, the Board is pursuing efforts to lean and standardize its processes, including leveraging technology. It is also reallocating existing resources to priority initiatives that will help transform how work is done. Through these efforts, the Board will strengthen its resiliency and increase its capacity to process more claims, faster. The IRB will accomplish this without compromising on quality, while maintaining its ability to render fair decisions and provide timely access to adjudication.