Québec Réunifié on Immigration FM: keeping our promise to families
Interview with Norbert Tchana – 27 September 2025
Québec Réunifié discusses recent cases of family separation (including Jonas’ deportation to the DRC), the 2026-2029 consultation at the National Assembly, and seven recommendations for a fair and predictable family reunification policy that complies with international standards.
#JeVeuxMaFamille
Québec Réunifié at a glance
Québec Réunifié is a non-partisan organization that brings together sponsors and sponsored individuals, as well as volunteers and researchers. Its mission is to document the impact of immigration policies on families and propose concrete, applicable, and humane solutions.
‘The right to family life is not a favour: it is a right.’
The Jonas case: when administration takes precedence over humanity
On 10 September, Jonas Kiese Umba was deported to the DRC, leaving his wife Fannie Séguin and their baby Kimia (3 months old at the time) in Quebec. This decision was contested on factual and humanitarian grounds and had serious consequences: a child deprived of his father, a single mother, and a community shaken.
‘No one should be forced to leave their country because they fell in love.’
Other families at risk
Other cases face the threat of deportation despite ongoing efforts to secure sponsorship. Late reprieves have sometimes been obtained, at the cost of great material and psychological insecurity for the households concerned.
The crux of the problem: targets, quotas, and suspensions
The Quebec government’s 2026-2029 consultation presents scenarios that, as they stand, would result in astronomical wait times for families (already 41 months for many cases, and much longer in reality if the upstream steps are added). Worse still, the suspension of CSQs for spouses and the lack of transparency regarding the order in which applications are processed create unpredictability and inequality between families.
“We cannot ask a couple to wait three to four years to live together. No country in the world condones such delays for family life.”
📌 Summary of recommendations
Resume CSQs immediately for spouses and adult children, end the 2025-2026 suspension.
Set a maximum legal time limit of 12 months for all family sponsorships.
Align admission thresholds with the MIFI’s actual processing capacity.
Process files that already have a CSQ and have been pending for more than a year outside of quotas.
Exclude family reunification from Quebec quotas, as in comparable countries.
Create a structured and voluntary integration pathway (French language training, civics, employment).
Recognise the right to family life in Quebec law to avoid arbitrary suspensions.
A decisive citizen petition
An official petition is currently underway in the Quebec National Assembly to demand better planning for family reunification and an end to excessive delays:
🔗 Sign the petition – Quebec National Assembly
This petition is crucial because:
It demonstrates the extent of public support ahead of the 23 October hearings.
It gives elected officials a clear mandate: to speed up processing times and protect the right to family life.
It provides public and official proof of mobilisation, which will be difficult to ignore in the parliamentary debate.
‘Sign the petition, share it. It is through strength in numbers that we will be able to convince the government.’
Federal–provincial: shared responsibilities
In the context of family reunification, Quebec does not have the power to select sponsored foreign nationals. Its role consists solely of approving the Quebec sponsor by issuing a commitment (CSQ sponsorship). The admission of the sponsored person remains the exclusive responsibility of the federal government.
Thus, the current practice of limiting applications through provincial quotas or suspending the issuance of commitments (CSQs) places families in a state of administrative uncertainty that exceeds the role provided for in the Canada–Quebec Agreement.
Greater coordination is needed to:
set realistic processing targets,
clear the backlog,
and implement temporary measures (open work permits, visas, etc.).
Next steps at the National Assembly – 23 October
Québec Réunifié will present its brief and defend these seven solutions. Family reunification is a pillar of a fair and coherent society; it must be planned with targets that are compatible with the rapid reunification of couples and children.
‘We will go forward with feasible, costed proposals and public support. Give us your voice.’
How to take action (2 minutes that count)
Sign and share the petition for dignified family reunification.
Write to your MP (federal and provincial): ask for the catch-up and reactivation of spousal CSQs.
Join our network to share testimonials and data (#JeVeuxMaFamille).
Listen to the interview (in French)
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