I write some time after the commemoration of the sinister 1973 coup d’état in Chile. A coup d’état against the democratic government of Salvador Allende, instigated by the army, led by Augusto Pinochet and actively supported by the Nixon government. Why am I talking about it? Because Quebec at the time fervently welcomed thousands of Chilean refugees fleeing persecution, torture and death. Later, we also opened our arms to the “ boat people » Vietnamese, to Haitians devastated by a gigantic earthquake, to Syrians fleeing war and, more recently, to Ukrainian women and their children.
I am proud of this Quebec. Proud of this people of barely 8.5 million inhabitants “which is something like a great people” (these are the words chosen by René Lévesque, in 1976) when it opens its arms. You understand why I rebel when, pretexting “the Louisianaization of Quebec », a government decides to limit so-called “humanitarian” immigration to a few thousand people from 2024 to 2027.
Little reminder
In 2019, the government of François Legault generally reduced immigration thresholds by 20%. It was necessary, he said, “to take less to take care of it”.
During the pandemic, Mr. Legault went so far as to seriously limit the special regularization program for “guardian angels”, often immigrant workers without status. You know, these wonderful women who took care of the sick or elderly in CHSLDs. He accepted beneficiary attendants, but not housekeeping employees. “It would have been too crowded,” he said. Misery…
But the number of temporary foreign workers has started to seriously increase. Today there are more than 360,000 people living, working and studying in Quebec. The CAQ government has long been careful not to talk about it, but all of Quebec is becoming aware of it today. We will have to talk about it, and the sooner the better!
In fact, discussions are currently taking place on Quebec’s reception capacity in terms of immigration. I’ll let the experts debate economic immigration; first and foremost, organizations that welcome and integrate immigrants. What concerns me is the lack of sensitivity shown by the Quebec government towards people who arrive here, fleeing absolute poverty, social, religious or political persecution, armed conflicts, climatic disasters. . These people have often stayed in refugee camps, crossed continents, braved a thousand dangers before setting foot on Quebec soil. Leaving everything behind and asking for asylum is definitely not fun!
Today, in discussions about immigration thresholds, it seems very difficult to simply speak of a humanitarian duty. Of course, the economy! Yes, the protection of French. But why remain so hesitant about the possibility of welcoming more refugees? Welcoming means: asking Ottawa to give permanent residence to refugees, who, I remind you once again, already live and work here.
The number of refugees recognized in Quebec who are waiting for their permanent residence — the passport to Canadian citizenship — is around 30,000, we read last August from the pen of Lisa-Marie Gervais, in The duty, while the Legault government’s target is 3,650 per year from 2024 to 2027. These 30,000 people will therefore wait at least eight years before obtaining the coveted permanent residence. Stunning!
You should know that asylum seekers have a work permit from the federal government and receive, in many cases, the Quebec selection certificate (CSQ). The CSQ provides access to certain services such as: health insurance card, college education, family allowances, subsidized daycare, etc. But be careful: as long as the refugee has not obtained their permanent residence, their life remains on hold. She cannot bring people from her close family, her spouse, her children, her parents here. It’s inhumane !
How can we understand, how can we approve government policies that deprive people for too long of the presence of those they love? All this because we fear for the future of Quebec? Frankly, I have known us to be more confident!
We have the choice. Or we are content to let the CAQ government deny many refugees already living and working in Quebec a normal, peaceful life with all the rights of permanent residents. Or we demand more humanity in our policy of acceptance – permanent residence – of refugee people at a time when wars and less and less natural disasters are pushing populations to despair.
If to do this, we must exceed the famous threshold of 60,000 proposed by the Minister of Immigration, Francisation and Integration, Christine Fréchette, I plead that we must do it. Because we know there are 130 million displaced people in the world. Because we want to make our contribution. Because we want to take care of damaged people who already live here and call us for help.