The federal government has voiced its anger at Quebec for emphasizing the importance of integration and wanting to be more selective about who is allowed to immigrate to the province.
The new Quebec government’s Bill 9 would reform the province’s immigration system to ensure that immigrants’ values match those of the province.
Bill 9 would ensure immigrants learn French and adopt the “democratic values and the Quebec values expressed by the Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms” before they get permanent residency.
The federal government has said he doesn’t believe these conditions should exist.
Federal Intergovernmental Affairs Minister Dominic LeBlanc said earlier this month that the government does “not support the reintroduction of conditional permanent residency.”
The Trudeau government dropped the conditions on maintaining permanent residency that were introduced under the previous Harper government.
Through the current legislation, Quebec Premier François Legault wants permanent residents to affirm belief in gender equality, respect for democracy, and other values in Quebec’s provincial charter.
Bill 9 will also put an emphasis on job-matching and remaining in specific regions to help deal with those scamming the current system by leaving Quebec as soon as they get permanent residency.
“In 2016, there were five times as many immigrants from Quebec’s immigrant investor program living in greater Vancouver than there were in all of Quebec,” said True North founder Candice Malcolm in a column on the topic.
“Come work in Quebec, but you will have to learn French and have the knowledge of Quebec values to be here forever,” said Quebec immigration minister Simon Jolin-Barrette.
While debating Bill 9 in the Quebec national assembly, Liberals shouted down Jolin-Barrette while he was trying to address the house.
Premier Legault, for his part, believes his government’s plan will address the serious misuse in the current system, adding he expects the federal government to get behind the plan.
“I am confident that the federal government will give Quebecers what Quebecers want,” he said.
