Not at the start - but the passport will be requested at some point in the process (unless you are visa exempt). Assuming you applied for refugee status from within Canada - your passport would have likely been taken. The challenge is that you can't get your passport back unless you withdraw your claim - however even then, your passport won't be given back to you until you are actually leaving Canada (i.e. at the airport / boarding the plane). If you want to go through common law sponsorship, apply outland so that you can leave Canada to complete the process.
