CIMM – In-Canada Asylum System – Roles and Responsibilities– November 18, 2022

The In-Canada Asylum System (ICAS) is a multi-faceted program reflecting collaboration among the following federal organizations in accordance with Federal/Provincial/Territorial shared responsibilities regarding immigration and refugee protection programs: 

• Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) holds the overall mandate for the In Canada Asylum System and is responsible for policy direction, guiding implementation, monitoring, reporting, and delivering program outcomes (e.g. intake of refugee claims at IRCC inland offices, Ministerial Reviews and Interventions (R&I) (e.g. where eligibility to make a claim or the credibility of the claim is flagged by IRCC), Pre-Removal Risk Assessments (PRRA), cessation of refugee protection status as well as processing applications for Permanent Resident status by recognized Protected Persons in Canada). IRCC is also responsible for access to programs and services at the federal level (issuance of work and study permit and medical care coverage through the Interim Federal Health Program, as well as the Legal Aid program to facilitate access to legal representation).
• IRCC shares service delivery with the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) and the Public Safety portfolio responsible for enforcement policies and leading various security and enforcement activities (e.g. intake of Port of Entry (POE) claims, security screening, hearings, arrest, detention, and removal of failed claimants, Ministerial Interventions on security or criminality grounds). Additionally, CBSA is responsible for representing IRCC in matters related to cessation of refugee protection status at the IRB.
• The Immigration and Refugee Board (IRB) is an independent quasi-judicial tribunal responsible for adjudication of refugee protection claims, which have been referred to them by either IRCC or CBSA. The IRB is also responsible for appeals of refugee status determinations by its Refugee Protection Division, as well as appeals of other determinations by IRCC and/or CBSA related to the immigration line of business and detention reviews.
• Provincial/territorial governments are responsible for providing social assistance, education, and emergency housing; they also take on the cost of health care once a claimant becomes a protected person or a permanent resident. Municipalities may also provide supports, such as temporary shelter.