The hypocrisy of the CAQ in immigration

Prime Minister François Legault’s unfortunate statement on Wednesday has derailed the immigration debate.

So far, the tone has been civilized. Each party proposed its immigration thresholds to counter the declining demographic curve and meet urgent labor needs: 35,000? 50,000? 80,000? We debated with respect and we were delighted that the discussion did not take a populist tangent as is the case in the United States, with Trump, or in France, with Zemmour and Le Pen.

Things went wrong on Wednesday when Mr. Legault made a link between immigration, violence and extremism: “Quebecers are peaceful, he said. They don’t like chicanery. They don’t like extremists. They don’t like violence. So, we have to make sure that we keep it as it is. »

Mr. Legault apologized in the evening on Twitter, but his remarks leave an unpleasant aftertaste. Not only is this kind of amalgamation dangerous, but it borders on xenophobia.

Far from elevating the debate, it is the kind of remarks that stir up mistrust and division. We can only be sorry.

By shifting the debate to the field of “Quebec” identity and values, themes dear to the CAQ, Mr. Legault deprives us of the real discussion that we need to have about immigration. And this discussion must focus not only on the immigration thresholds for permanent immigrants, but also on temporary immigrants who make up the majority of immigrants who have been entering Quebec in recent years.

We are talking about foreign students, skilled workers, seasonal workers as well. They do not have the same rights as permanent immigrants and when they come here to work, they are literally attached to their employer. They do not have access to unionization or francization programs. They are sort of second-class citizens.

However, this category of immigrants has exploded in Canada and, by extension, in Quebec. The number of temporary immigrants rose from zero to 62,000 between 2015 and 2019. Temporary immigration, which is federally controlled, has also become a fast-track gateway to obtaining permanent residency since applicants are already locally, unlike “ordinary” immigrants who apply from their country of origin.

This is what makes the Legault government say that it has lost control over its immigration. And it is for this reason that he continues to demand full federal powers. However, as we have already written, Quebec is not as powerless as it claims. It does not use all the levers at its disposal under the Canada-Quebec agreement on immigration, which has granted special powers to Quebec since 1991.

This is also the point of view of André Burelle, who was a negotiator for the federal government. According to him, the agreement grants the necessary powers to Quebec in the selection of its immigrants.

Quebec could specify “the number of temporary workers it wishes to accommodate under special programs”. The agreement also includes provisions to “harmonize the exercise of the powers of Quebec and those of Canada in the area of ​​permanent and temporary immigration”. In fact, says this specialist, Quebec enjoys a kind of right of veto which limits Ottawa’s power in the area of ​​temporary immigration.

As for the integration of immigrants, which seems to worry the Prime Minister so much, it is up to his government to implement measures that meet the needs on the ground. Does he? However, the means are not lacking. Federal transfer payments to Quebec for immigration were around $650 million for 2020-21 alone.

There is something hypocritical in the CAQ’s position on immigration. On the one hand, we take advantage of the “arms” of seasonal workers who toil in our fields or the qualifications of specialized workers required by companies, regardless of whether they speak French or not. Our CEGEPs and universities cash checks from international students without grumbling. All of Quebec benefits from the presence of these temporary immigrants. But on the other hand, we feed mistrust by making dubious links between their presence among us and the disintegration of the social fabric. It is particularly odious.