Canada offers refugee protection to people in Canada who face persecution in their home country or the country where they normally live, or who would face persecution if they returned to that country. You can make a refugee claim within Canada when you arrive by land, sea or air. Foreign nationals, who fear persecution, who are at serious risk of harm and who cannot get protection in their own country often seek refuge in Canada. People who are recognized as refugees are allowed to stay in Canada and may apply for permanent residence status, and eventually may apply to become Canadian citizens. A person cannot apply directly to Canada for resettlement. After they are identified, it takes time to process the cases. Private sponsors across the country also help resettle refugees to Canada. Government assisted refugees have access to financial assistance from the federal government through the Resettlement Assistance Program (RAP). This financial assistance is generally for one year maximum and is received only if they do not have their own financial resources or income. Refugee Status application processing times vary from one Canadian Immigration Visa office to another:

• Government sponsored refugees
• Privately sponsored refugees
• Dependants of refugees

Individuals who have a refugee claim rejected, abandoned or withdrawn may eventually apply for a Pre-Removal Risk Assessment (PRRA). This is in opportunity for people who are facing removal from Canada to seek protection by describing, in writing, the risks they believe they would face if removed.
It is advisable for people seeking refugee protection to be represented by a Certified Canadian Lawyer/Consultant.

i. Refugee Protection - Canada's refugee system is regulated mainly by the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act and consists of the Refugee and Humanitarian Resettlement Program, for refugees seeking protection from outside of Canada, and the In-Canada Asylum Program for person who make their claims from inside the country.
5 of the biggest reason a person becomes refugee is:-

• Religious/National/Social/Racial/Political Persecution
• War
• Gender / Sexual Orientation
• Hunger
• Climate Change

ii. Refugee Application Process - If you make a refugee claim, IRCC will decide if it can be referred to the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada (IRB). The IRB is an independent tribunal that makes decisions on immigration and refugee matters.
Your refugee claim may not be eligible to be referred to the IRB if you

• are recognized as a Convention refugee by another country that you can return to
• were granted protected person status in Canada
• arrived via the Canada–United States border
• have made a refugee claim in another country, as confirmed through information-sharing
• are not admissible to Canada on security grounds or because of criminal activity or human rights violations
• made a previous refugee claim that was not found eligible
• made a previous refugee claim that was rejected by the IRB
• abandoned or withdrew a previous refugee claim

Canada has an agreement with the U.S. that says people who want to make a refugee claim must do so in the first safe country they arrive in.
This means, if you enter Canada from the U.S. at a land port of entry, you can’t make a refugee claim in Canada. You would be sent back to U.S.