Protests Rise as Quebec Refuses to Accept Certain Frontline Immigrant Workers
Protestors call for an expansion to the permanent resident program. Source: The Guardian
As is not uncommon in highly developed countries, Canada, which prides itself on being a highly-tolerant, liberal democracy, has had trouble living up to that image due to Quebec’s reluctance to admit new immigrants in an effort to preserve its French culture and heritage. Quebec gained control over its own immigration following a 1991 agreement signed by Prime Minister Brian Mulroney – partially in order to quell growing sovereigntist sentiments in the francophone province. That agreement also gave Quebec around four times the funding that other provinces receive for settling new immigrants. Today, Quebec’s obstinacy has many Canadians frustrated and many frontline workers desperate for a lifeline.
Canada’s immigration system has three categories: economic immigrant, immigrant sponsored by family, and refugee. The program for frontline workers, called “Guardian Angels,” falls under the refugee category, yet it only applies to frontline workers who dealt directly with Covid patients. Thus, many workers once deemed essential during the height of the pandemic, such as food delivery drivers, healthcare workers, housekeepers, and manufacturers, are left out by this new plan. This unfortunate fact means that the very backbone of Quebec’s economy during the pandemic is in grave danger of being left without a home. One frontline worker, Abdul, spoke of the agony of the situation: “I am struggling to pay the rent to be honest...where will we go if we are not accepted? This is our home.”
Unfortunately for Abdul and tens of thousands of others, Trudeau and his government have little ability to sway the decision of Quebec Premier François Legault. Additionally, the Quebec government is unlikely to change their course. Speaking on the province’s current direction, postdoctoral researcher Cheolki Yoon of the Université de Montréal said “One of their main [election] promises was to reduce the number of permanent immigrants in Quebec, so they do not want to enlarge access to this program.”
Additionally, the current immigration quotas set for 2022 already represent a continued increase in accepted immigrants since 2019, in which year Quebec reduced their immigration targets by 20 percent. Furthermore, the government still has to catch up with 2020 admission targets that were not met due to the pandemic. While significant pressure from the national and international media along with pressure from the Canadian government may convince the Quebec provincial government to change their policy, Quebec still has significant obstacles in the way.
Under normal circumstances, a given region should be allowed to make policies that protect their unique culture and heritage. In the United States, for example, there seems to be greater public support now for balancing multiculturalism with assimilation, allowing regions and peoples to retain their uniqueness. Similarly, the uniqueness of the French heritage and language in Quebec is understandably something its people want to protect. However, these are not normal times. There are thousands of people in immediate danger of losing their livelihood and therefore being unable to provide for themselves or their families. This prospect should be considered more of a threat to the long-term health of Quebec than an influx of people of different cultures. The population of Quebec is 8.5 million. A population of migrants that numbers in the tens of thousands does not pose a serious threat to the French language or Quebecois culture. Instead, they represent a key part of Quebec’s economic backbone that propelled its people through the pandemic. To turn them away now would not only be foolish, but it would also be wrong.