Rising number of asylum claims requires government response: IRB chief says
OTTAWA — The Immigration and Refugee Board is doing its best to cope with a growing number of asylum claims in Canada, but the federal Liberals must take action as well before an unmanageable backlog gets created, the head of the IRB says.
The rapid pace of the increase in new claims sees the board — an independent tribunal that decides on immigration and refugee cases in Canada — potentially on track to receive 30,000 claims this year — triple the number lodged before it just four years ago.
“There is a limit to what you can do …” said IRB chairman Mario Dion of his agency’s efforts in an interview with The Canadian Press.
“Efficiency has increased significantly, but there is no way we can deal with 30,000 cases when we’re funded for about 17,000.”