The new Quebec Minister of Immigration, Christine Fréchette, takes note of the shift in immigration towards temporary status and believes that it is “essential” to include this situation in the discussion. In interview with The dutyit does not completely close the door to an increase in permanent immigration thresholds after 2023, but remains very cautious about Quebec’s “reception capacity”, which it wishes to assess at the end of regional meetings.
It also announces that its three priorities are improving the knowledge of French among immigrants, their regionalization and the simplification of immigration procedures.
The duty showed on Saturday that the number of temporary immigrants has exploded in recent years. In 2021 and 2022, the large group of temporary workers, comprising four categories, had at least three times as many people as the number of permanent residents.
Will they be considered in the upcoming multi-year planning this year? “It is something that will have to be gauged. It’s sure that [la capacité d’accueil] is not an arithmetic calculation with two data”, explains the minister, giving the example of the availability of housing.
Temporary immigrants are already in Quebec, have a job or are studying. Several observers in our pages thus described the debate on the target of 50,000 permanent residents as “a false debate”, an “absurd” discussion and “the tree that hides the forest”.
This shift is not “propelled” by Quebec, replies Minister Fréchette. It is, according to her, “an effect of the labor shortage”, and therefore of recruitment by companies rather than by educational establishments.
His department and his team nevertheless have the explicit strategy of trying to facilitate the arrival of temporary foreign workers or foreign students. “We know that there are a lot of redundant procedures, and we will look with the federal government at all the measures to streamline the process”, for employers as well as for immigrants themselves, she said.
More access to permanence?
Remember that several employer groups—both the Quebec Employers Council and Quebec Manufacturers and Exporters—want to see the threshold for permanent residents rise. Many say they turn to temporary immigrants because they cannot recruit permanent residents.
Minister Fréchette ensures that she is examining the option of “creating bridges to permanent status” for these people who are already established. Quebec had excluded itself from certain pathways to tenure during the first mandate of the Coalition avenir Quebec.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has also asked federal Immigration Minister Sean Fraser to look into the possibility of creating a regularization program for people without status. These people are counted neither in the figures for permanent immigration nor in those for temporary immigration. ” We are going to watch [les modalités du programme] with attention and openness”, confirms Mr.me Fréchette, without wanting to go any further.
She also undertakes to discuss with her federal counterpart the issue of closed permits for certain categories of migrants, including temporary foreign workers in agriculture and low wages. These are indeed here on permits tied to a single employer. “I want to see if there is a way to do it differently, to reduce the vulnerability that comes [du permis fermé] foreign agricultural workers,” she says.
Learning French
One thing is certain, “French will remain an obligatory route to reception on a permanent basis”, reiterates Mme Frechette.
The project to modulate the level of French required for certain professions no longer seems to be on the agenda. Many temporary workers, as well as employers, note that the level requested poses a major obstacle to people who nevertheless spend entire periods of their lives in Quebec.
“I know it can seem demanding for certain types of work,” she admits. We want to be more in tune with what is required by companies, but knowledge of French will remain a priority. Like her predecessors, she relies on Francisation Québec, a kind of one-stop shop, to improve the offer of French courses.
Roxham
Finally, as mentioned many times, his government wants the safe third country agreement to be renegotiated to apply to the entire border. Arrivals of asylum seekers via Roxham Road hit a record high in 2022 at 39,171 people. The number of asylum applications made at other entry points is also on the rise, particularly at the airport: a total of 59,205 applications were filed in Quebec, according to data provided to the To have to by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada.
Minister Fréchette has “a lot of expectations” in relation to the visit of US President Joe Biden, scheduled for next March, in particular “the progress of this file”. Such an influx “destructures the support and reception groups for asylum seekers”, she says. Quebec has repeatedly demanded to be reimbursed by the federal government for all of the costs of the various services offered.