Hi
Actually it is, if the person is a refugee outside their country of residence and is unable to obtain a passport, a travel document can be issued. see:
http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/resources/manuals/op/op05-eng.pdf page 93
All foreign nationals travelling to Canada are issued a permanent resident visa in the form of a
generic counterfoil coded for immigration (IM-1). In the case of refugees who are stateless, or
cannot otherwise obtain passports from their countries of nationality, some form of documentation
is required in which to affix the counterfoil in order to facilitate the refugees’ travel to Canada. The
recommended documentation for refugees remains that issued by the UNHCR or ICRC, as
described in R151, but in the absence of these, the Single Journey Document for Resettlement to
Canada [IMM 5485] may be used. It is only to be used for the first trip to Canada for entry as a
permanent resident.
The IMM 5485 is a document provided to clients or to the IOM to assist refugees’ travel out of
their country of residence. The IOM would be involved in situations where travel arrangements
would make it operationally feasible.
This document serves as travel identification for refugees requiring additional documentation for
travel to Canada or within Canada immediately upon arrival. It is to be used only in exceptional
cases. The document is only to be used in specific refugee and refugee-like situations as follows:
• where the person possesses no other acceptable passport or travel document and cannot, in
a reasonable time, obtain an acceptable travel document from an issuing organization; and
• where the person is a member of a class prescribed by Division 1 (Refugee classes) of Part 2
of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act.