(Quebec) Jean-François Roberge wants to do a major cleanup to reduce the number of foreign students in Quebec. Worried about reactions in the regions, the Minister of Immigration promises to spare programs essential to the survival of CEGEPs and universities.
“I understand that institutional leaders could have fears, but we are not going to close programs in the regions,” assures Mr. Roberge, even if he recognizes that often, “the presence of foreigners […] allows regional programs to survive.”
The Minister of Immigration will table his bill this Thursday to better regulate the number of foreign students. The Legault government wants to grant itself new powers to better control their arrival in Quebec, based on regional realities and labor needs.
Quebec will carry out a “review” of all professional training programs in higher education.
“There will be an evaluation of all sectors”, indicates the minister in an interview with The Press.
“We don’t come with a chainsaw to say: we’re cutting everywhere […]. The goal is not to attack institutions that are important; it’s about being precise, agile and going where there are abuses,” he explains, on the eve of the tabling of the legislative text.
Regional sensitivity […] it is important, because the power we give ourselves with the bill, if misused, could have unfortunate consequences.
Jean-Francois Roberge, Minister of Immigration
The number of foreign students with a valid study permit exploded in Quebec from 2014 to 2023, going from 50,000 to 120,000, an increase of 140%.
Their reception is the responsibility of Quebec and Ottawa, which issues the study permit. The Legault government wants to tighten the meshes upstream of the process.
“The objective of the bill is to be able to look at each employment sector, look at labor needs and look at public service needs, and counter shortages,” explains the minister. of Immigration.
“A 360 degree x-ray”
To determine the number of foreign students to welcome, Mr. Roberge indicates that “a 360-degree x-ray of the network” will be carried out. This analysis will be produced in conjunction with his colleagues Bernard Drainville (Education) and Pascale Déry (Higher Education) once the bill is adopted.
The minister does not want to impose a “wall-to-wall” reduction target on Quebec, and himself wants to carry out a complete review of the programs to prevent educational establishments from ignoring “certain regional government priorities”.
On Wednesday, Mr. Roberge did not want to establish a threshold for welcoming foreign students which would be acceptable, according to the government.
Jean-François Roberge particularly has in his sights temporary immigrants who enter Quebec as students, but who, in fact, do not continue their studies once they arrive in the province.
He also wants to attack private colleges that make welcoming foreign students “a kind of business plan to sell permanent residence.”
“There are students who arrive and who do not have the capacity to pay for their studies […] even though they claimed to have it before being admitted. There are students who arrive and who do not study, and who are lost in the wild. There are students who go to programs […] deprived of professional training, and we are not really sure that these programs really aim to train the workforce,” he says.
Quebec also knows that many study permit holders apply for asylum once on Quebec soil. Three universities and a Quebec college also appear in the top 10 Canadian establishments that have welcomed the most foreign students who have filed an asylum application.
From January to August, 1,000 asylum requests were made by foreign students in the following four Quebec establishments: 305 at the University of Quebec in Chicoutimi, 255 at Ellis College in Trois-Rivières, 225 at Laval University and 215 at the University of Quebec at Trois-Rivières. This phenomenon can be examined in his analysis, indicates Mr. Roberge.
Jean-François Roberge wants to “absolutely adopt by Christmas” the bill so that the rules are tightened at the start of the 2025 school year.