In response to Premier François Legault’s demands, Ottawa has agreed to give Quebec $750 million to help pay for an increase in temporary immigrants. The federal government will also commit to processing asylum claims more quickly and distributing would-be refugees across the country. These measures were announced on June 10 by federal officials during a meeting between Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Premier Legault in Quebec City.
Premier Legault had been requesting $1 billion from Ottawa to cover costs related to housing and caring for temporary immigrants from 2021 to 2023, but received three-quarters of that sum. The premier has not yet received a specific number regarding the reduction in asylum seekers and other temporary immigrants from Mr. Trudeau.
Legault emphasized the importance of substantially reducing the number of temporary immigrants in Quebec quickly, claiming they are putting undue pressure on social services and threatening the future of the French language. He wants to see the number of people claiming asylum in the province cut in half.
Prime Minister Trudeau stated that before committing to a specific number, he needs a plan from Mr. Legault for adjusting numbers. He also cautioned against blaming immigration for housing shortages and strain on social services, noting that immigrants cannot bear all the blame for these issues.
In addition to the $750 million payment, Ottawa is pledging to expedite the processing of asylum claims and work with other provinces to redistribute would-be refugees across the country. Since 2017, Quebec has welcomed more than 230,000 asylum seekers, accounting for over half of all would-be refugees who have arrived in Canada since that time.
Ottawa’s goal is to process at least 20 percent of asylum claims within nine months, a significant improvement over the current average processing time of about 18 months. The government is also working on improving the integrity of the country’s visa system and ensuring more temporary foreign workers are proficient in French.
These measures aim to relieve pressure on Quebec by speeding up work permits for asylum seekers, transferring people to other provinces, and increasing the pace of removals for unsuccessful claims.