Liberal leader Dominique Anglade wants to facilitate access to the regions of Quebec for immigrants who are less proficient in French.
Ms. Anglade said Monday that the regionalization of immigration is the best way to Frenchify new Quebecers more quickly.
During a press briefing in Trois-Rivières, the Liberal leader said that the weighting of the criteria for issuing the Quebec Selection Certificate (CSQ) would be revised to facilitate regional immigration.
A relaxation would allow people whose command of French is less good to receive a positive response more quickly provided that they choose to settle in the regions.
“Regionalization is the best way to Frenchify people who arrive in our territory more quickly,” she said. In the regions, there are fewer issues in terms of integration in relation to the French language. If they go to the regions, there is an acceleration that takes place. »
As announced in its election platform, the Quebec Liberal Party (PLQ) wants to give the regions the power to determine their immigration needs.
The PLQ wants to set the number of new arrivals at 70,000, the current level this year, which takes into account a catch-up related to the slowdown in immigration during the pandemic.
“We are leaving with 70,000 people, after that it will be determined by the regions. It may be more, it may be less. Each of the regions will be able to tell us the reception capacity. »
Power to the regions
Ms. Anglade cited the availability of housing, accessibility to education and health care as factors that could encourage regions to accept more or fewer immigrants.
“One region may tell us this year we are going to welcome fewer and another may say that they are going to welcome more, but in the end the regions will decide on the immigration thresholds”, a- she said.
The elected officials of regional county municipalities and community organizations for the integration of newcomers would have the power to make their recommendations, indicated a Liberal spokesperson, Jérémy Ghio.
The Coalition avenir Québec (CAQ) wants to restore the threshold to 50,000 after eliminating the delay caused by the pandemic.
A government of the PLQ would devote all the increases in federal immigration transfers to francization programs, indicated the PLQ, which estimates these annual increases at 50 million.
The Liberal leader is campaigning in Trois-Rivières on Monday. She will then go to Quebec, in the riding of Jean-Talon.
More details will follow