What is a Pre-Removal Risk Assessment and who can apply for one?
A Pre-Removal Risk Assessment, or PRRA, is a review of the risk a person would face if removed from Canada, conducted shortly before removal is scheduled to actually happen, and separate from an earlier refugee claim process. It exists so that someone facing removal gets a final, focused look at current risk of persecution, torture, or similar harm, even after other avenues have been exhausted.
Generally, people facing an enforceable removal order can apply, but there are important limits: someone whose refugee claim was recently rejected typically cannot apply right away, since the negative decision itself already assessed similar risk factors, and people barred by certain serious inadmissibility findings, such as serious criminality or security grounds, may only be eligible for a narrower, restricted version of the assessment rather than the full process.
Because eligibility depends heavily on the specific timing and history of a person's case — including how and when a prior refugee claim was decided — anyone facing removal who believes they would be at risk if sent back should get legal advice about PRRA eligibility as early as possible, since the window to actually apply is often tightly tied to the removal timeline itself.
Key takeaways
- A PRRA is a focused review of current risk conducted close to a scheduled removal.
- It is available to people facing an enforceable removal order, with important eligibility limits.
- A recent negative refugee decision generally blocks an immediate PRRA application.
- Serious inadmissibility can limit someone to a narrower, restricted risk assessment instead of the full PRRA.