In addition to having generated expenses of more than a billion dollars in three years, the massive arrival of asylum seekers now poses a risk for “Quebec identity,” according to François Legault’s government.
“Yes, there are things that are threatened, there are services that are threatened, there is a way of living that is threatened, when the numbers [de demandeurs d’asiles] are too big. It must be named,” said CAQ Minister Jean-François Roberge on Tuesday morning. Asked about the risk that Quebec identity would be affected, the elected official responsible for the French language added: “it could happen”.
In addition to Mr. Roberge, the Quebec government had sent three ministers for a press conference at the Parliament Building, in particular to make new financial requests to Ottawa in connection with the reception of asylum seekers. According to the Minister of Immigration, Christine Fréchette, the amounts required from the federal government went from simple to double last year.
For 2021 and 2022, Quebec expected $470 million from the federal government to compensate for the services provided to those without status. For the year 2023 alone, 576.9 million would have been added to the total. Although part of these sums is in the process of being reimbursed — approximately 15%, said Minister Fréchette — the government of François Legault thus calculates the expenses incurred over the last three years in the reception of asylum seekers.
“Despite all the generosity that drives us, our ability to deliver [des] services to asylum seekers has limits,” thundered Minister Fréchette at a press conference. At his side, the Minister of Education, Bernard Drainville, repeated several times on Tuesday that the Quebec school network was approaching a “breaking point”.
“Currently, in Quebec, […] there are 1,237 francization classes, which represents, in a very conservative way, the equivalent of 52 primary schools,” launched the CAQ elected official. “The Trudeau government can no longer continue to manage the borders as it currently does. »
Last year, almost half of the asylum seekers who arrived in Canada crossed the borders through Quebec. According to the calculations of Dutywhich include interprovincial movements, this figure is more like 35% for 2023. Quebec is therefore asking that a portion of these immigrants be transferred to other provinces.
If this is not done, noted Minister Roberge, Quebec’s “integration capacity” could be weakened. “We have always been a welcoming society. We want to remain one, but there is a reception capacity, there is a capacity for integration into Quebec citizenship,” said the elected official, while denouncing the “passivity” of Justin Trudeau’s government.
Further details will follow.