Pre-Removal Risk Assessment (PRRA) Update for the Democratic Republic of Congo

Validated finding · five-country-2010-20260922-v118-evidence-presentation-fix

CountryCanada

Operative dateJuly 4, 2025

CategoryOther

Policy toolEligibility

Affected groupExisting holders

Policy effect

IRCC waived the standard 12-month waiting period for DRC nationals who received a negative asylum decision between July 5, 2024, and July 4, 2025, to apply for a PRRA due to humanitarian conditions.

Official source excerpt

Quoted verbatim from the official source below. Ellipses indicate omitted text.

… the pre-removal risk assessment for the Democratic Republic of Congo **Ottawa, July 4, 2025**—Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) is deeply concerned about the current situation in the [Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)](https://travel.gc.ca/destinations/congo-kinshasa). Since January of this year, conditions in the country have worsened, with grave human rights abuses, including the execution of children, forced recruitment of minors, systematic sexual violence against women and girls, and the persecution of ethnic groups. DRC nationals who received a negative final decision … on their asylum (refugee) claim from the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada or the Federal Court between July 5, 2024, and July 4, 2025, may now be eligible to apply for a [pre-removal risk assessment (PRRA)](https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/refugees/protection/refusal-options/pre-removal-risk-assessment.html). If someone’s PRRA was refused by IRCC during that time, they may also now be eligible to apply again. The Canada Border Services Agency will advise eligible people from the DRC that they can apply for a PRRA if they are currently subject to an [enforceable removal order](https://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/security-securite/rem-ren-eng.html). The PRRA process prevents people from being sent back to a country where they face risks like persecution, torture or other harm. In normal circumstances, people must wait 12 months after a negative decision on their asylum claim before they can apply for a PRRA. However, IRCC can waive this waiting period if there is a sudden and significant change in conditions in a claimant’s country of origin. People are responsible for keeping their PRRA application up to date and informing IRCC of any changes to their …

Government of CanadaCanada.ca. Pre-Removal Risk Assessment (PRRA) Update for the Democratic Republic of Congo. Effective 2025-07-04.Open official source

Retrieved from https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/news/notices/changes-pre-removal-risk-assessment-democratic-republic-congo.html

Review method

Two separate automated exact-claim source reviews

Automated source validation is not independent human legal review. The finding should not be treated as legal advice. Record fcp-5ff5eca645203af7416d. Something wrong? Flag this record.

Pre-Removal Risk Assessment (PRRA) Update for the Democratic Republic of Congo

Policy effect

Official source excerpt

Review method

Other Canada changes operative in 2025