Quebec is proposing two immigration scenarios to reverse the decline of French: maintaining the status quo of the annual entry thresholds or an increase to 60,000 newcomers.
This was announced by the government of François Legault on Thursday, when it filed the preparatory documents for the multi-year consultations which will take place later this year. According to this second scenario, Quebec’s immigration threshold would increase by approximately 10,000 by 2027. Graduates from the Quebec Experience Program (PEQ) would not be counted in this target.
“Despite the lack of manpower observed in several areas, an annual increase in immigration levels must not come into conflict with the reception capacity and integration in French in Quebec”, specifies one. in the consultation book tabled Thursday at the Blue Room by the Minister of Immigration, Christine Fréchette.
During the election campaign last year, François Legault said that it “would be a bit suicidal” for the health of the French to increase the immigration targets. For the moment, the annual immigration threshold is around 50,000 new arrivals. However, to make up for certain delays due to the pandemic, nearly 70,000 new permanent residents were welcomed to Quebec territory last year.
The government of the Coalition avenir Québec calls for a “national awakening” in terms of the protection of French. So much so that he launched an Action Group for the Future of the French Language (GAALF) this winter, on which Minister Fréchette sits, among others.
He is also betting on 100% Francophone economic immigration by 2026. At the beginning of May, Prime Minister François Legault expressed his desire to raise the requirements for both permanent and temporary immigrants.
Mr. Legault will make an announcement this Thursday afternoon. He will be accompanied by Mr.me Fréchette and the Minister of the French Language, Jean-François Roberge.
Further details will follow.
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