Refugee Protection in Canada (Asylum)
Seeking asylum or refugee protection in Canada means requesting protection from Canada if, once inside Canada, you cannot return to your country of origin or the country where you normally live because you believe you will be persecuted for one or more of the following reasons:
- your race
- your religion
- your political opinion
- your nationality
- for belonging to a discriminated social group, such as women or people of a specific sexual orientation.
Furthermore, you must show that if you return to your country of origin you will face one or more of the following:
- danger of torture
- risk of death
- risk of cruel and unusual treatment or punishment
Once an application is submitted and during the waiting period until the final decision is made by the Canadian Immigration and Refugee Board (IRB), after the applicant testifies during their court hearing, asylum seekers have access to support from the Canadian government with subsidies for housing, food, transportation, health insurance and much more, as well as authorization to work and study in Canada.
There are also other factors, including who cannot apply for asylum in Canada and how the process works, which you can learn during your initial consultation.