For a Canada as Welcoming as We Are

Canada is strengthened by immigration, respect for human rights, and being open to the world.

This article was authored by Tanja Maleska and Gauri Sreenivasan. Gauri is the Co-Executive Director at the Canadian Council for Refugees. Published July 3, 2025.

Over the last two years we have seen unprecedented scapegoating of newcomers and refugees in Canada. Anti-migration advocates — a small but loud minority in the country — blame refugees and immigrants for the cost-of-living crisis, claiming that their presence in our country is somehow making life unaffordable for all of us. In reality, public opinion polls and joint civil society actions have consistently demonstrated that Canadians actually have a positive view of immigration, reflecting the broad consensus that the country is strengthened by immigration, respect for human rights, and being open to the world. And while everyone from housing policy experts to The Economist have debunked this idea that newcomers are contributing to the housing crisis, the fallacy persists, making our newly arrived friends and neighbours feel unsafe in our country.

Last year, this supposed shift in public support for newcomers was a rationale for drastic shifts in immigration and refugee policy. The government slashed immigration levels by more than 20% and reduced by 14,000 the number of people Canada will support through the humanitarian component of the levels. The Canadian government has also unveiled new legislation setting multiple dangerous precedents that if passed, are bound to weaken refugee rights in Canada — despite our obligations under the Canadian Charter and international law. Bill C-2 would create significant new barriers for refugees to access their right to asylum, including slapping an ill-informed and U.S.-inspired time limit, prohibiting people from seeking protection after being in Canada for one year.

At the Canadian Council for Refugees (a leading voice for the rights and wellbeing of refugees and migrants) we are determined that these attempts to divide us based on how recently we made Canada our home will not succeed. The message from our members who work on the front lines is clear — there is a huge gap between what the media says and the loving support we see in our communities every day. This is why we are banding together to call for a just and fair immigration system that is as welcoming as Canadians are, which can be accomplished if our government commits to:

Ensuring the Right to Asylum with Dignity: The right to seek asylum from persecution is a right protected under the Canadian Charter and international law. Our country, a global leader in welcoming refugees, has the infrastructure, the know-how and the resources to respond to those seeking protection at and within our borders in an effective way, one that prioritizes treating people with dignity.

Enhancing Canada’s Global leadership on Refugees: At a time of rising global conflict and authoritarianism, Canada must lead where many are stepping back. We should be resettling more refugees, not less, and commit a minimum of 15% of annual immigration admissions to humanitarian resettlement, including at least 20,000 Government Assisted Refugees. We should also set immigration levels for “Protected Persons in Canada and Dependents Abroad” sufficiently high, so that accepted refugees and their family members abroad can receive permanent residence within 12 months.

Providing Status for All and Safeguarding the Rights of Temporary Residents and Migrant Workers: Despite their major contributions to Canada, migrant workers and people with temporary status live in precarity. People arriving here who will be staying long-term should have access to permanent residence, and once here should have equal access to the social services that their taxes support, the same as everyone else in the country. This must include renewing and implementing the long-standing commitment to regularize those who have been living and contributing to our country for years without status or benefits.

Every day in our communities we see people show up for their new neighbours, welcoming newcomers as friends, colleagues and integral members of their community. The Canadian Council for Refugees is working with our member organizations and partners across civil society to ensure that broad public support for immigration and refugees is made visible to the rest of the country.

Canadian Council for Refugees is a leading voice for the rights, protection, sponsorship, settlement, and wellbeing of refugees and migrants, in Canada and globally. CCR is driven by member organizations working with, from, and for these communities from coast to coast to coast. To learn more and get involved, visit CCR’s website, and join the call by writing to the Prime Minister and your Member of Parliament to demand a fair and just immigration system that is as welcoming as the people in Canada are.