Prime Ministers Justin Trudeau and François Legault will meet in mid-March, in a context where differences are accumulating between their two governments on the immigration front.
The date of March 15 was confirmed by a federal source on Tuesday, while Mr. Legault’s office refrained from any comment.
The processing of immigration applications under the family reunification program was the latest subject of clashes between Quebec and Ottawa.
Federal Immigration Minister Marc Miller recently announced his intention to ignore the thresholds established by the Quebec government.
At the end of February, the Minister of Canadian Relations, Jean-François Roberge, warned that the massive arrival of asylum seekers poses a risk for “Quebec identity”.
This statement followed that of Mr. Legault who, in a letter to his federal counterpart, invited Ottawa to curb the influx of asylum seekers otherwise Quebec will reach its “breaking point”.
This meeting will follow the tabling of the Quebec government’s budget by a few days and will precede the presentation of Ottawa’s, scheduled for April 16.
The Quebec government has requested a reimbursement of $470 million for the reception of asylum seekers in 2021 and 2022 as well as substantial sums for the following years.
At the end of January, Ottawa simply announced an additional $100 million in funding for Quebec.
More details will follow…
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