In most circumstances, refugees must enter Canada before making a refugee claim. Refugee claims can generally only be made from outside Canada if the refugee claimant has already obtained refugee designation from the United Nations High Commission on Refugees (UNHCR).
A refugee claim by a person in Canada is made to the Refugee Protection Division (RPD) of the Immigration and Refugee Board (IRB). The IRB/RPD is an independent government tribunal which acts like a court to decide who will be granted refugee status.