đïž Family Reunification: The Overlooked Consensus
Summary of the briefs presented on October 8â9 at the National Assemblyâs Commission on Citizen Relations
As public consultations continue on Quebecâs 2026-2029 immigration plan, one theme stands out:
Family reunification runs through nearly every brief as a core concern and moral priority.
From unions and community groups to business associations, voices across the spectrum denounce the delays, the marginalization of the family stream, and the urgent need to restore balance between economic and humanitarian immigration.
đŹ Community organizations: a unanimous denunciation of delays
The Coalition of Community Organizations for Workforce Development (COCDMO) speaks bluntly of âexcessive processing timesâ â for spouses, parents and grandparents. These delays, it says, âare unworthy of a society like Quebec.â
It recommends raising immigration thresholds and resources to clear the backlog while upholding the right to family lifeNotes memoire du 8 et 9 octobre.
The Labour Market Partners Commission (CPMT) similarly notes that immigration planning must include âpersons eligible for family reunification,â recognizing their contribution to social cohesion and regional vitalityNotes memoire du 8 et 9 octobre.
âïž Labour unions: family as the cornerstone of integration
The CSN condemns the âinhumanâ treatment of separated families and reminds the government that in family sponsorships, sponsored persons are housed and supported by their relatives, not by the state.
Its key recommendations:
Restore Canada-wide standards â 10â12 months processing time;
Cap economic immigration at no more than 60 % of total admissions to re-establish balanceNotes memoire du 8 et 9 octobre.
The FTQ adds:
âFamily reunification is a decisive condition for permanent settlement.â
It urges the government to simplify and accelerate procedures so that temporary workers can be joined by their spouses and children without years-long separations.
The CSD echoes that message: restricting the family stream âwould seriously harm integration efforts.â
It warns against raising economic immigration in ways that shrink the family and refugee categories
.
đŒ Economic actors: balance, not competition
The Alliance of Employment Counselling Centres and the Quebec Employersâ Council (CPQ) emphasize that prioritizing economic immigration must not sideline family reunification.
The CPQ calls for at least 70 000 permanent admissions, to meet both economic needs and Quebecâs ethical and international obligations toward families and refugeesNotes memoire du 8 et 9 octobre.
The Institut du QuĂ©bec agrees: current immigration caps will âslow the reunification process and violate Quebec residentsâ right to live with their families.âNotes memoire du 8 et 9 octobre
Even the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) â usually focused on SMEs â supports an accelerated path to permanent residency including family reunification for temporary workersNotes memoire du 8 et 9 octobre.
đ¶ Expert voices: children, francisation, and long-term retention
According to Anne-MichĂšle Meggs, former director of planning at the Ministry of Immigration, the consultation workbook fails to consider the impact of family composition and young children on long-term outcomes.
Her data show that facilitating family reunification improves francisation, retention, and integration.
She recommends selecting complete families rather than forcing them through the âexpensive, endless, and heartbreakingâ sponsorship process later onNotes memoire du 8 et 9 octobre.
𧩠In short: a clear consensus
From community coalitions to major unions, from the CPQ to policy experts, everyone agrees:
đ Family reunification is not a privilege but a condition for successful integration.
đ Current delays (37â41 months) are indefensible in a just society.
đ Targets must be raised to absorb the backlog and return to humane timelines.
đ Quotas cannot be used to exclude families.
âïž Conclusion: time to act
Over just two days of hearings, a rare unanimity emerged:
Without reunited families, there can be no durable integration or social cohesion.
Québec Réunifié urges the government to heed this consensus and, before the end of the consultation, announce a significant increase in family-category targets and a concrete plan to clear the backlog.
Because Quebec is built â first and foremost â by its families.
đ Read our full brief: here.
đïž Sign the official petition (National Assembly of Quebec): here
#JeVeuxMaFamille #QuebecReunifie #FamilyReunification #QuebecImmigration