Ottawa won’t say if people misused a now-defunct refugee residency sponsorship policy

The Immigration Department refuses to say whether applicants misused a refugee permanent resident sponsorship policy which was allowed to expire last week after Ottawa cited “potential integrity concerns.”

The policy offered exemptions to allow certain refugees to sponsor a family member for permanent residency who was not listed on their initial application.

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Advocates and academics who pushed for the policy said it was most commonly used to sponsor children and LGBTQ+ partners in countries where those relationships are criminalized.

The Canadian Press first asked the department Monday if people had actually misused the policy.

In an email sent late Tuesday, the department again cited “potential integrity concerns” and said it will consider exemptions case-by-case on humanitarian and compassionate grounds.

When asked again if anyone actually misused the seven-year old policy, a department spokesperson today said “we have nothing further to add.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 16, 2026.