Québec solidaire demands “rapid action” from the Legault government to regularize thousands of young people and their parents who currently have a precarious status, some being threatened with imminent deportation. To give weight to his request, party representatives invited young people without status to the National Assembly who spoke in French of their desire to stay in Quebec.
Uprooting these young people from Quebec would be “dramatic” for them, but also for Quebec, argued the MP for Saint-Henri–Sainte-Anne, Guillaume Cliche-Rivard, who worked as an immigration lawyer. The co-spokesperson for QS, Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois, wanted to go beyond “statistics and figures” too often put forward, according to him, by the CAQ government during the debates on immigration. “We want to show you faces, tell you human stories,” he said. These young people are living proof that integration into Quebec can work. Just try for real, just make it a real social project. »
According to him, Quebec has a “duty” not to let them down. “This is what I am asking the Legault government. Let them stay. »
Three young people braved the horde of journalists and dared to take the microphone. Shivani Sachdeva, 20, explained that she was an assistant manager at a Couche-Tard and wanted to become an accountant. “I think with this experience, I will open my business,” she said.
Harshpreet Singh, a student of 2e secondary school of the Lucien-Pagé school who arrived in 2018 with his family, spoke, in very good French, of his wish to continue his studies here. “My favorite subjects are math and science, I would like to become a mechanical engineer,” he said. “I had difficulty understanding French, but it took me a while and I finally learned to read and write. »
The duty was able to talk a little longer with Jaskamal, a student of Indian origin in 3e secondary school at Lucien-Pagé secondary school. For him, everything would be fine in the best of all worlds if he and his parents had not become non-status since their asylum application, made in 2017, was rejected. Returning to Punjab, where some farmers, like her parents, may be at risk due to ongoing conflict, was not an option.
Since then, Jaskamal Singh hardly sees the future with confidence. “It’s hard not to have status. I can’t go to CEGEP, ”drops the 16-year-old student. The young man who dreams of becoming a police officer fears having to return to Punjab, six years after having integrated well into Quebec society. “I don’t know how to speak and write Punjabi well,” he said. “I will not be accepted. »
What would a permanent resident status, which could be granted on humanitarian grounds, change? “Our lives would no longer be in danger,” he replied, always referring to the fear of returning to his country. “My parents can’t work somewhere like that. They can’t buy a house, a car. »
Quebec has a role to play, says QS
During his campaign to be elected in Saint-Henri–Sainte-Anne, Guillaume Cliche-Rivard had made regularization one of his main concerns. It would be a question of regularizing people without status who have been in the country for at least five years, but families with at least one child residing in Quebec would be eligible as soon as it comes into force. “We are talking about 10,000 people for year 1,” reiterated the MP.
He insisted that such a regularization program is not solely the responsibility of Ottawa. “It is enough for the minister to say so and it could be done,” he argued, recalling that Quebec had “played a central role” in the establishment of the guardian angels program, aimed at regularizing people. with precarious status who worked during the first wave of the pandemic.
“Quebec issued Quebec Selection Certificates and Immigration Canada gave residence according to the CSQ. It’s essentially the same thing we’re asking. […] That Quebec demands that these people, once the CSQ has been issued, receive permanent residence as soon as possible. Quebec has all the legislation and authority to do so. »
As reported The duty During the recent study of budget credits, the Minister of Immigration, Christine Fréchette, had not closed the door to such a program, maintaining in the same breath that it was still too early to comment on this question. “It is important for us to know the nature of the orientations [du fédéral]. We want to be consulted on this public policy. »