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India filed 17,835 asylum claims in 2025, more than any other country and more than several conflict-affected nations such as Iran, Afghanistan, Ukraine, and Syria combined. Fewer than one in four of those claims were approved.

The full-year data, updated in February 2026, shows a sharp contrast in both volumes and outcomes between India and countries affected by armed conflict. The figures compare numbers and results. They do not speak to why individual claimants filed or what motivated those who abandoned their cases.

Canada's Refugee Protection Division received 107,802 new claims in 2025 and finalised 79,462. Of those, 50,067 were accepted, an overall approval rate of roughly 63 per cent.

India's results fall well below that average. The board recorded 2,040 accepted claims from Indian nationals, 2,309 rejections, and 3,914 abandoned cases. A total of 9,252 Indian claims were finalised. A further 45,687 remain pending - the largest single-country backlog in the system and roughly 15 per cent of the national total of 299,614.

Approval Rates From Conflict-Affected Countries Far Higher

Iran referred 7,114 claims in the same period. Of 3,681 finalised, 3,456 were accepted - approximately 94 per cent. Afghanistan recorded a similar rate, with 1,388 of 1,479 finalised claims accepted. Ukraine sat at roughly 91 per cent. Syria at about 78 per cent.

Under Canadian law, a refugee claimant must demonstrate a well-founded fear of persecution based on race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or membership of a particular social group, or show they face a risk of torture or cruel and unusual punishment. Claimants from countries with functioning democratic institutions face a higher evidentiary bar, as they must also show that state protection at home is inadequate.

Speaking to IBTimes UK, immigration and refugee law expert Lorne Waldman, Founder and Managing Director of Waldman & Associates, says the figure is largely made up of individuals whose temporary permits have expired.

"Many came to Canada on study permits, graduated, and obtained Post-Graduation Work Permits, expecting this would be their pathway to permanent residency. Nationals from India and Bangladesh, in particular, relied heavily on this route. But the rules have become significantly more restrictive, and not everyone gets to stay after finishing their studies."

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) data support this assessment. As The Indian Express reported, Indian citizens account for close to half of all temporary work permits that either expired in 2025 or are due to lapse this year, between 1.05 million and 1.49 million ran out in 2025 alone, with an additional 927,000 set to expire in 2026.

Most are former students who transitioned to employer-tied work authorisations in sectors such as technology, retail, and construction. Yet with IRCC's application backlog estimated at 2.2 million files, processing times for permanent residency streams like the Canadian Experience Class regularly stretch beyond 12 months, leaving a growing number in legal limbo.

Waldman added that some of these former students, facing the loss of legal status, turn to the asylum system and seek refugee protection, and that in many cases, these claims are well-founded.

"Some of these individuals genuinely experienced persecution or serious human rights abuses in their home countries before coming to Canada," he said. "The fact that they initially entered on a study permit does not diminish the legitimacy of their protection needs."

India is a constitutional democracy with a federal judiciary. The IRB has recognised claims rooted in caste-based violence, anti-Sikh persecution, and threats against activists. Iran, Afghanistan, and Syria are classified as conflict or authoritarian states by most international bodies, producing country-condition evidence that is both severe and well-documented.

India Records Highest Claim Abandonment in 2025

India's 3,914 abandoned claims were the highest among all countries by a wide margin. Mexico was second at 1,464. Haiti is third at 460. Iran's figure was suppressed by the IRB, meaning it fell below 20.

An abandoned claim occurs when a claimant fails to submit their Basis of Claim form, misses a hearing, or loses contact with the board. The IRB does not attribute motive

New Law Bars Asylum Claims Filed After One Year

Bill C-12, the Strengthening Canada's Immigration System and Borders Act, received Royal Assent on 26 March 2026. Two new eligibility rules now apply to claims made on or after 3 June 2025. Claims filed more than one year after a person's first entry into Canada after 24 June 2020 will not be referred to the IRB. Claims from people who entered between land ports of entry along the Canada-US border and filed after 14 days are also barred.

Immigration Minister Lena Diab told the Senate that roughly 37 per cent of claims filed between June and October 2025 would have been disallowed under the provision - approximately 19,000 of 50,000 applications, CBC News reported. The Canadian Council for Refugees and Amnesty International have both opposed the legislation, saying it could penalise claimants who delayed filing due to lack of legal access, fear of authorities, or trauma.

Ukraine Comparison Requires Context

Most Ukrainian nationals who came to Canada following Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022 did not enter through the IRB. They accessed protection through the Canada-Ukraine Authorisation for Emergency Travel, a dedicated pathway that processed more than 200,000 people outside the refugee determination stream. Only 786 Ukrainian claims were referred to the IRB in 2025.

IBTimes UK has contacted immigration lawyers Lorne Waldman and Mario Bellissimo, migration scholar Dr. Yvonne Su of York University, the Canadian Council for Refugees and Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada for comment. This article will be updated as responses are received.

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