Advocacy

Join us in advocating for faster family reunification for refugees.

A Practical Solution for an Urgent Problem

The Problem

Did you know that children and spouses living overseas now wait nearly 4 years to reunite with a family member who has been accepted as a refugee in Canada! The processing times are getting longer and longer.

The long separation causes immense suffering. Children in particular suffer severe harms – often their safety is at risk as they struggle to survive in a war zone or other precarious situation. They may not have enough food or access to health care and may be unable to attend school. They often feel abandoned and blame their parent for not bringing them to Canada sooner.

Amina's story

Four and a half years after she arrived in Canada to seek refuge, Amina is still waiting to be reunited with her husband and older twin children who remain in her East African country of origin. She has been taking care of her two younger children who accompanied her on her flight to Canada, while going through the refugee claim process.

In 2021, Amina was recognized as a refugee and two years later, in August 2023, she became a permanent resident. But she is still waiting for her husband and older children to be able to join her.

Amina is unable to take a job as she has no one she could leave the children with. 

Being a single mother all this time is particularly difficult because her son has autism. Recently, she had to tell her daughter that she could not join a ballet class since Amina can’t juggle taking her to the classes while caring for her son. 

“I deeply feel for her and see her dreams being dashed right in front of my eyes,” she reports. “The mental torture is taking a toll on me. I am always wondering how long it will take before I will get to see my other children and my husband.” 

The children with her keep on asking when they will get to see their dad and the ones in the home country say they need their mum.

A practical, short-term solution

There is a practical solution that can be implemented in the short term. The Canadian government could issue Temporary Resident Permits (TRPs) to allow family members of refugees to live in Canada while they wait for their permanent residence applications to be processed. 

Impact of the 2025 immigration levels

The government recently announced major cuts in the immigration levels, starting in 2025. The reductions are particularly dramatic for Protected Persons and their dependants abroad.

The cuts are absolutely devastating as they mean that many accepted refugee families will wait until 2028 at least before they can receive permanent residence and be reunited with loved ones. 

These cuts reinforce the need for Temporary Resident Permits to be issued so that families can wait together in Canada!

At the end of April 2024, IRCC had inventories of:

• 75 879 Protected Persons
• 41 908 dependants abroad

for a total of 117 787 Protected Persons and family members abroad.

Given the levels just announced, 45,000 people, or 38% of those refugees and family members with applications pending end April 2024 will still be waiting at the end of 2027!

It is all the more urgent to call for TRPs for families!

Learn more!

Read our advocacy document

Read the letter sent by the Canadian Bar Association and the Canadian Council for Refugees recommending that refugee family members be given Temporary Resident Permits.

Article in the Toronto Star about the issue: Given asylum in Canada but separated from their families for years: Is there a better way to grant permanent residence? July 29, 2024, Nicholas Keung

Listen to a story on CBC's The House about a Haitian mother trying to be reunited with her son. ‘Infuriating’ delays keeping refugee families apart, say critics, January 13, 2024

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