QUESTION PERIOD — Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship
Quebec's Jurisdiction on Immigration
April 10, 2024
Senator Gold, the Government of Quebec wants to reduce immigration in the province and is calling on Ottawa to give them more powers. The premier claims the current situation is unsustainable and untenable. However, just last month, federal immigration minister Marc Miller informed his provincial counterpart that he directed his department to process requests for permanent residency in the Family Reunification Program beyond the ceiling set by the province. As a result, the Premier of Quebec floated the idea of holding a referendum on immigration if his demands are not met by the end of June.
Senator Gold, what is the government’s reaction to Premier Legault’s latest outburst? Can you reassure those family members that desperately want to be reunited with their loved ones that Canada will hold steady?
Thank you for your question, senator. Colleagues, family reunification has always been one of the government’s top priorities in the context of our immigration program.
For too long, family reunification applications in Quebec have had much longer wait times than those for the rest of the country. Why is this? It’s because Quebec has issued more Quebec Selection Certificates, or CSQs, for more applications than it wishes to admit within its levels of immigration.
Therefore, to harmonize processing times and reunite families more quickly, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, or IRCC, now finalizes family-class applications for Quebec applicants with valid CSQs. If Quebec wishes the IRCC to not process certain family class permanent residence applications, it can simply, in its jurisdiction, stop issuing CSQs. This constitutes an authorization for IRCC to proceed with processing. This was not taken lightly, but the government has a moral obligation to help families reunite.
Thank you for that response. Quebec claims that Ottawa’s directive for permanent residency in the Family Reunification Program is a direct affront to Quebec’s jurisdiction. The premier argues that Quebec alone determines its permanent immigration targets.
Senator Gold, what is the government’s position on that matter? Does the federal government have the legal authority to override the province’s threshold?
Thank you. Under the Canada-Québec Accord, Canada sets its annual immigration levels respecting the number of permanent residents that Quebec wishes to welcome. However, by issuing CSQs, Quebec is authorizing the federal government to process these files. In no way is the government going against Quebec’s wishes or trespassing on their jurisdiction since Quebec has already selected the people they want by submitting them a Quebec Selection Certificate. It is the responsibility of Quebec to solve this problem — not Canada — to not impede family reunification.
