Immigration Minister Jean Boulet thinks it is reasonable to consider raising the immigration threshold to 58,000 people a year.
Mr. Boulet was thus reacting to a proposal included in reports submitted to his department by two experts, the economist Pierre Fortin and the demographer Marc Termote, whom he had mandated.
“It seems reasonable to me taking into account his argument,” he said Thursday.
The proposed increase, which would raise the current threshold from 50,000 to 58,000, would be spread over five years, the minister said, referring to information on the subject first published by The Journal of Montreal.
Mr. Boulet explained the reasons for his openness to Mr. Termote’s proposal.
“What I considered when reading his report, taking into account the birth rate, the problems of demographic growth, the minorization of French, is a proposal that seems interesting to me, which must be considered, a- he said. If you are asking me for a personal opinion, yes, it is an opinion that seems reasoned and reasonable to me. »
Mr. Boulet explained that a consultation process, scheduled for 2023, is necessary before establishing what the thresholds will be for the years to come.
“It’s not me who will determine the threshold,” said Mr. Boulet.
In recent weeks, several representatives of employers and the business world have called for an increase in the number of immigrants to 80,000 annually in order to respond to the problem of a labor shortage. The government then rejected this request, emphasizing the importance of respecting the reception and integration capacity in Quebec.
Mr. Boulet estimated Thursday that Mr. Termote’s proposal could meet the wishes of economic players.
“What concerns me is that we ensure the vitality of the French language, that we maintain its vigor in Quebec, and that we respond effectively to the economic challenges arising from the labor shortage” , he said.
Further details will follow.