For the first time in 72 years, Canada has resettled more refugees than any other country in the world in a calendar year.
This is according to data compiled by a researcher at the University of Calgary.
Numbers from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) show that Canada accepted just under 30,000 refugees in 2018. That’s slightly more than several countries in the European Union and exceeds the United States’ intake by several thousand.
In fact, that’s party why Canada is in the lead. While we did take in more Syrian refugees last year than in previous years, the U.S. has significantly but back its refugee resettlement efforts.
Canada passed the U.S. in 2018 in leading world refugee resettlement, taking 30% of all resettled refugees. This follows large U.S. cuts to resettlement.#cdnimm #cdnpoli #immigration #refugees@policy_school @VibrantCalgary @nkeung @AlexNowrasteh @jacquiemcnish @porterthereport pic.twitter.com/fhYCzXdijG
— Robert Falconer (@RobbFalconer) January 23, 2019
Canada is one of only 37 countries in the world participating in the United Nations’ refugee resettlement program. The program received 150,000 applications in 2016. Resettlement, refers to “the selection and transfer of refugees from a State in which they have sought protection to a third State that has agreed to admit them ‐ as refugees ‐ with permanent residence status.”
What you may not know is that refugees do not choose their adopted country. Rather, a country chooses which refugees to welcome based on thorough planning, vetting, and security processes. Currently, there are 1.4 million refugees in need of resettlement worldwide.
According to a recent poll, Canada is the second-most desirable country for migrants after the United States.
