[3] Qaqish was born in Toronto and lived in Jordan before moving to Ottawa to earn a degree in psychology from Carleton University.
After the resignation of Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird, Qaqish indicated to the Hill Times that he was encouraged by senior Conservatives to seek the party's nomination in Nepean, but declined on the grounds that he had only been recently elected to Ottawa City Council.
Michael Qaqish was appointed to Special Liaison for Refugee Resettlement in January 2016[9] and will be in this additional role until the end of this Term of Council.
In May 2016, Qaqish co-hosted a welcome party[10] for approximately 1,500 Syrian refugees with Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson at the Aberdeen Pavilion in Lansdowne Park.
Michael Qaqish was inducted to United Way's Wall of Inspiration[11] with a Community Builder of the Year award on March 2, 2017, due to his work with refugee resettlement efforts.