QUEBEC — Moving to cap the number of new arrivals it controls, the Quebec government has announced Thursday a temporary freeze on two popular programs immigrants use to gain access to citizenship.
Immigration Minister Jean-François Roberge announced on social media Thursday that Quebec will place a moratorium on delivering citizen selection certificates — the document required to permanently immigrate — via two economic programs it controls.
It will freeze the use of Programme regulier des travailleurs qualifiés and a second program, the Programme de l’expérience Québécoise (PEQ), which has been used by international students to fast-track their eventual citizenship.
Both are frozen until June 30, 2025, a move that in the long run sets the stage for reduction in the total number of immigrants entering Quebec. The target for 2024 was 50,000.
The two programs cover about half of all the permanent immigrants Quebec welcomes a year. The decision means persons already in the programs will not be able to make requests for selection certificates.
Roberge made the announcement on the same day as he released Quebec’s immigration forecast for 2025 in the National Assembly.
Tabled by Roberge in the legislature shortly after 10 am, the plans says in 2025 Quebec will admit a total of between 48,500 and 51,500 permanent immigrants. Adding in the 15,000 in the PEQ program and the new total is about 67,000.
Of the total, between 31,000 and 32,900 are considered economic immigrants and could be affected by the changes to the programs Roberge announced.
Another 10,200 to 10,600 persons will be admitted via Quebec’s family reunification program, a number which has not moved in several years. The total number of refugees will be between 6,600 and 7,200 persons.
Roberge also announced that in the future immigration forecasts, Quebec will start including temporary immigration in its plans, a longstanding demand of Quebec’s opposition parties.
Only a year ago the previous minister of immigration, Christine Fréchette, resisted this idea because it would imply a ceiling. There are about 600,000 temporary immigrants in Quebec, double what it was two years ago.
Quebec has been pressing Ottawa for months to reduce the total.
Quebec’s move follows Ottawa’s decision to reduce the total number of new permanent immigrants entering the country.
Three weeks ago Roberge tabled legislation designed to cap international student admissions. Hearing into that legislation, Bill 74, kick off at the legislature next Tuesday.
Before that, in August Quebec announced another moratorium, this one on low paid temporary workers.
And on Monday the Parti Québécois presented its own plan which foresees a reduction in permanent immigration to 35,000 a year.
On Thursday, PQ leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon questioned the sudden shift to reduce immigration by the Coalition Avenir Québec government.
“It shows they’re not ready and have not done their homework,” St-Pierre Plamondon said. “It’s an ironic twist.
“It’s a 180 degree turn by the government to put a moratorium on economic immigration from outside Quebec but also in the PEQ program which covers immigrants already in Quebec.”
He said there is a clear link to the PQ’s own plan which was presented Monday.
Interim Liberal leader Marc Tanguay also ripped into the decision, saying the announcement will hurt businesses in Quebec which need the workers covered by the two programs.
Quebec’s family unification and refugee programs are not affected by the shift in strategy.
Roberge is to hold a news conference later Thursday to explain his plan.