🛟 Immigration · Asylum claims
Asylum claims in Canada
113,105 people made an asylum (refugee) claim in Canada in 2025, -34.2% from 2024. The record is 171,870 in 2024.
IRCC
Asylum claims each year, by where the claim was made
*2026 covers January to August 2026 only, so it is not a full year. IRCC rounds every number to the nearest 5.
Airport and border claims are made on arrival. Inland claims are made at an IRCC or CBSA office by people already in Canada. A claim is not a decision: the Immigration and Refugee Board decides who is a refugee.
IRCC
Asylum claims every month
IRCC
Countries of citizenship of asylum claimants
Top countries
IRCC publishes only the top 25 countries of citizenship ranked on 2025. The 2026 list shows January-2026-08 counts for those same 25 countries (re-sorted), so a country outside the 2025 top 25 that rose in 2026 would not appear. Earlier years are not provided because the published list is fixed to the 2025 ranking.
IRCC
Asylum claims by province in 2025
Source: Asylum Claimants by Claim Office Type, Province / Territory of Claim and Claim Month, Asylum Claimants by Province/Territory of Claim, Gender and Claim Month, Asylum Claimants by Top 25 Countries of Citizenship in the Most Recent Complete Year, Claim Office Type and Claim Month.
FAQ
Questions people ask
How many asylum claims were made in Canada in 2025?
113,105 asylum claims were made in 2025, -34.2% from 171,870 in 2024 (IRCC).
What is the record number of asylum claims in Canada?
The highest year in IRCC open data is 2024, with 171,870 claims.
Does an asylum claim mean someone is a refugee?
No. A claim starts the process. The Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada hears the case and decides whether the person is a refugee or needs protection.
Where do asylum claimants in Canada come from?
In 2025 the top countries of citizenship were Haiti (17,610), India (17,200), Iran (6,930).