Women at Risk Program

Brief Description

Recognizing that refugee women may be especially vulnerable to violence and exploitation during prolonged periods of displacement, within the resettlement program, the Women at Risk Program ensures that female refugees who face a heightened risk to their safety and security are identified and brought to Canada quickly and safely. The Refugee Protection Program is in the first instance about saving lives and offering protection to the displaced and persecuted. One arm of the Program starts overseas where refugees and persons in refugee-like situations are selected by Canadian visa officers to be resettled as permanent residents to Canada. Flowing from Canada’s international and domestic legal obligations, the in-Canada asylum system evaluates the claims of individuals seeking asylum in Canada and grants permanent residence when a positive decision is rendered by the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada.