Refugee Claimants from 8 More Countries Will See Faster Processing

The list of Designated Countries of Origin, which was introduced on December 15, 2012 as part of the Protecting Canada’s Immigration System Act, has been amended to include eight new countries.

According to Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC), the list of designated countries includes “[democracies] that offer state protection, have active human rights and civil society organizations, and do not normally produce refugees.” Asylum claimants from one of these countries will have their requests processed and be issued a hearing by the Refugee Board of Canada within 30-45 days. Claimants from a non-designated country will have a hearing within 60 days.

The eight new countries to be placed on the Designated Countries of Origin list are as follows:

Mexico
Israel (excluding Gaza and the West Bank)
Japan
Norway
Iceland
New Zealand
Australia
Switzerland

These countries join 27 others, including much of the European Union, Croatia, and the United States. All eligible asylum claimants, regardless of country, are promised a hearing and fair assessment of their requests to stay in Canada.