Yes they are very scared. I work with him and he's always concerned about this situation. I agree with you, it;s kinda cruel in some way.
Best advice you can give them is to make sure they work on having a solid back up plan if Canada doesn't work out. Have they looked into the immigration programs of other countries to see what it may take to qualify? Have they researched Canada's economic immigration programs (e.g. Express Entry) to see what it would take to return if the refugee application is refused and they have to leave? They should not be sitting back and hoping for the best. They should be actively planning for the worst case scenario.