The Government of Quebec projects that more than 30,000 people will use Roxham Road to enter Canada “irregularly” in 2022. A significant proportion of these people end up on social assistance while waiting to receive their work permit from the government. from Canada. However, obtaining a work permit takes time, too much time. It would take an average of 10 to 11 months before an asylum seeker can receive it, according to some sources.
From a personal, social and economic point of view, it is unreasonable to confine these people to social assistance when there were nearly 260,000 vacant positions in Quebec, according to the latest data available (March 2022). These people, who came to Quebec to have a better life, are not the only ones waiting for their permit. There would be hundreds of non-permanent residents who would also be waiting.
Immigration is a shared jurisdiction, and the Quebec government is calling for more powers in this area, particularly for family reunification. But, in our opinion, it can do even more and quickly since it has full power to “issue” permits itself in its areas of jurisdiction. Obviously, such a temporary work permit would only apply to sectors of provincial jurisdiction, that is to approximately 90% of the workforce, as well as within the borders of Quebec. This would be a first for a province in Canada. However, border controls, and therefore entry into the country, would remain a full federal responsibility.
This could initially be a pilot project applicable until a permanent solution to “Roxham Road” is implemented. Depending on its results, this pilot project could be extended to certain categories of temporary workers. The effect of this scenario on the availability of labor would be immediate and far greater than the impact that a “repatriation” of powers could have in the reunification of families.
Criteria could be applied for the granting of the permit. We think in particular of a minimum knowledge of French, the commitment of a respondent residing in Quebec, and so on. It could be given at the time of admission to social assistance. And since these applicants have already crossed the border, the work permit would come into effect as soon as it is issued and could be renewed, annually, until a decision is made on the file by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada as to the admission as a refugee, and would be revoked in the event of a negative decision.