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

OTTAWA - The Immigration Department has declined to disclose whether applicants abused a refugee permanent residency sponsorship policy that expired recently due to alleged "potential integrity concerns". The policy, which allowed certain refugees to sponsor a family member not initially listed on their application, was most frequently employed to sponsor children and LGBTQ+ partners in countries where such relationships are illegal.

Advocates and scholars who supported the policy noted its primary use for these vulnerable groups. The Canadian Press inquired on Monday if anyone had indeed abused the seven-year old policy. The department responded with the same "potential integrity concerns" retort and stated they would evaluate each exemption request individually on humanitarian and compassionate grounds. Upon further questioning, a spokesperson for the department stated they had nothing more to add.