Trudeau says Quebec has the ‘tools’ to welcome 112,000 immigrants, more than double its goal | 24CA News

Quebec’s immigration minister has responded to feedback from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, saying his assertion that the province might welcome as much as 112,000 immigrants yearly as an alternative of the deliberate 50,000 is “insensitive” to Quebec’s problem of defending the French language. 

Trudeau advised The Canadian Press Monday afternoon in a year-end interview that Quebec had the assets to host greater than double the immigration threshold it has set for itself and that the province already has “all the tools” for these individuals to be francophones.

Earlier this 12 months, the federal authorities set a purpose of welcoming 500,000 new immigrants by 2025 — 112,000 represents 22.3 per cent of that quantity, which is the equal of Quebec’s inhabitants inside Canada. 

He mentioned immigration is an “important solution” to the labour shortages Quebec and the remainder of the nation face. 

But provincial Immigration Minister Christine Fréchette shot again in an announcement Tuesday that it is as much as Quebec, “and only Quebec to determine its immigration threshold.” 

She added that, “Quebec has a double challenge that is unique in Canada: to reduce the labour shortage, while curbing the decline of French, which Mr. Trudeau seems to remain insensitive to.” 

For greater than 30 years, following agreements ratified with the federal authorities, Quebec has had the ability to resolve which financial immigrants to get keep — and, in the end, what number of.

Premier François Legault mentioned in a speech on the National Assembly two weeks in the past that, to his authorities, it is very important hyperlink immigration with the way forward for the French language in Quebec. 

He mentioned he needs all financial immigrants transferring to Quebec to be francophones by 2026. Recent Statistics Canada census information confirmed a decline within the share of French-speaking immigrants to the province from 60.5 per cent in 2016 to 54.5 per cent in 2021. In 2006, the share was 54.2 per cent.

Immigration tensions between feds and province

The premier got here below fireplace in late September, days forward of being re-elected, for saying that welcoming greater than 50,000 immigrants per 12 months can be “a bit suicidal,” alluding to the necessity to shield French. 

The feedback got here shortly after former Quebec immigration minister Jean Boulet mentioned “80 per cent of immigrants go to Montreal, don’t work, don’t speak French or don’t adhere to the values of Quebec society.”

Legault mentioned Boulet might not have the immigration file following the remarks and changed him with Fréchette when he selected his cupboard after the provincial election.

All provincial events in Quebec seem to agree the province should not welcome greater than 100,000 new immigrants in a 12 months, citing integration capability.

The idea has oft been referred to by politicians because the argument for Quebec’s low immigration threshold; although it is seldom been outlined, officers have pointed to shortages in housing inventory and training assets as examples of what is wanted to combine newcomers into Quebec society and for them to be taught French.

The feedback from Trudeau and Fréchette are the most recent in tensions between the federal authorities and Quebec below Legault, who usually reiterates the province’s want for independence from federal interference. 

The two leaders met on the Francophonie Summit in Tunisia in mid-November, the place Legault mentioned they spoke concerning the decline of French in Quebec.

In the interview with CP, Trudeau mentioned rising the variety of immigrants to the province would assist forestall it from dropping financial weight in Canada. 

“It’s a reflection the government of Quebec can and should make,” he mentioned. 

The portion of Quebec’s inhabitants inside Canada has declined by 5.5 per cent in 50 years, going from 27.8 per cent in 1972 to 22.3 per cent in 2022. 

Ontario’s, however, rose three per cent in that point — from 35.8 per cent to 38.8 per cent. According to the Ontario authorities’s web site, Ontario obtained 66,691 immigrants within the fourth quarter of 2021, representing 48.3 per cent of all immigrants to Canada in that interval.