The Canadian government cancels a policy for excluded family members of refugees
In the midst of the unending news firehose covering the Canadian government’s response to wars, weather and economic crises, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has quietly axed a little-known refugee policy.
The consequences are serious and immediate.
According to Canadian regulations, permanent residency applicants are required to list all family members. They are permanently barred from later sponsoring any undeclared family. Up till now, IRCC had a policy that provided for occasional exceptions. Some refugees were allowed to sponsor their undeclared family members for permanent residency.
However, in September 2026 this policy was dropped because of “potential integrity concerns.” IRCC refused to explain what those were, or to state whether some applicants had misused the policy. Here is yet another silently closing door that further limits the number of refugees allowed into Canada. It seems now that the Canadian government has less interest in family reunification.
Advocates and academics say the policy was used primarily to sponsor children and LGBTQ+ partners. Refugees who are resettled to Canada may arrive without having declared family members for various compelling reasons. Babies are born during the long years of processing and not declared because of fears of delaying yet further the family’s departure (and often refugees don’t even have a clear way to communicate with the Canadian government). In rare cases a family might learn afterward that a child believed dead was actually alive.
How does this affect LGBTQI+ refugees with partners?
Queer refugees are usually in a perilous situation where they need to hide their sexual orientation and therefore feel they cannot safely disclose their partner. And, of course, queer people may have children too.
IRCC has said it will consider applications for exemptions on a case-by-case basis through humanitarian and compassionate applications. But there is little doubt that the effect of dropping this accommodation policy will be harmful to many. Refugee lawyers and advocates point out that IRCC’s own website shows the current wait time for humanitarian and compassionate applications runs to more than 10 years.
The Canadian Council for Refugees has called on Minister Lena Diab to reverse the decision not to extend the policy. In a letter sent earlier this month, the council said the decision to revert to “the cruelty of the previous situation” was “inexplicable,” and that “terminating this policy will have devastating consequences.”
ROAR stands with the CCR, hoping to draw more attention to these and other challenges facing LGBTQI+ refugees and asylum seekers.