Ottawa's refugee support community is bracing for the fallout after the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada (IRB) cut 53 jobs, a move that union representatives and advocacy groups say will make a chronic backlog of asylum claims significantly worse.
The layoffs, confirmed by the union representing most of the affected workers, come at a moment when Canada's refugee determination system is already under intense strain. The IRB — headquartered in Ottawa and responsible for adjudicating asylum claims across the country — has struggled for years to keep pace with growing caseloads.
A System Already Under Pressure
Canada's asylum claim backlog has ballooned in recent years, driven by increased arrivals at land borders and airports, as well as claims from people already in the country. As of early 2026, tens of thousands of claimants are waiting months — sometimes years — for their cases to be heard.
For Ottawa's substantial newcomer and refugee communities, delays in the system carry very real human consequences. Claimants in limbo face uncertainty around work permits, housing stability, and access to social services. Local settlement agencies in the city say they regularly support clients who have been waiting well over a year simply for a hearing date.
What the Cuts Mean
The 53 eliminated positions represent a meaningful reduction in the IRB's administrative and support capacity. While the federal government has framed broader public service reductions as a cost-saving measure, refugee advocacy groups argue that cutting staff at an already overburdened quasi-judicial tribunal is a false economy.
If fewer staff are processing paperwork, scheduling hearings, and supporting decision-makers, the pipeline for resolving claims slows further — meaning claimants wait longer, legal costs mount, and pressure on social services intensifies.
Ottawa organizations that work directly with asylum seekers have expressed frustration, noting that the people most harmed by these delays are among the most vulnerable: individuals who have fled persecution, conflict, or danger and are waiting to find out whether Canada will grant them protection.
The Broader Context
The IRB cuts fit into a wider pattern of federal public service reductions that have drawn scrutiny from unions and civil society groups across the country. Critics argue that departments dealing with vulnerable populations — immigration, social services, veterans' affairs — should be shielded from blanket efficiency drives.
The union representing the laid-off IRB workers has called on the government to reconsider, warning that the savings from the cuts will be outweighed by the downstream costs of a system that grinds even slower.
For Ottawa, a city with one of the most active refugee resettlement communities in Ontario, the stakes are tangible. Local legal aid clinics, cultural support organizations, and housing providers all feel the downstream effects when federal immigration machinery stalls.
What Happens Next
Advocacy groups are calling for transparency from the IRB about how the cuts will affect hearing timelines, and urging MPs — particularly those representing Ottawa ridings with large newcomer populations — to push back on the reductions in Parliament.
For now, claimants and the organizations supporting them can only wait and watch as the system absorbs another blow.
Source: Ottawa Citizen. Original article
