FTQ warns lower immigration thresholds could fuel exclusion, social tensions

The Quebec Federation of Labour (FTQ) says the Legault government’s proposed cuts to permanent immigration levels risk fuelling “exclusion and social tensions.”

Speaking at a news conference Tuesday, FTQ secretary general Denis Bolduc pointed to the case of a temporary foreign worker whose permit is about to expire and who may be forced to leave the country.

“He can’t stay here, but he wants to stay here,” Bolduc said. “That person might decide to remain, but illegally. That’s not what we want. We want people who are already here and contributing to be given a path to permanent status.”

Immigration Minister Jean-François Roberge is currently holding consultations to plan immigration levels for 2026 to 2029.

He has already signalled his intention to reduce permanent immigration thresholds and has proposed three scenarios for the coming years: 25,000, 35,000 or 45,000 new permanent residents annually.

“The FTQ is deeply concerned that these scenarios could lead to longer wait times, prolonged precariousness due to uncertain status and poor living conditions, family separation, insecurity, marginalization, and even push thousands of people already working and building lives in Quebec to leave,” the union wrote in a brief submitted to the National Assembly as part of the immigration consultations.

“These unrealistic scenarios appear likely to foster exclusion and social tensions.”

The Quebec government plans to welcome about 64,000 permanent immigrants in 2025, up from nearly 60,000 in 2024.

Bolduc criticized the government’s rhetoric that immigration places pressure on Quebec’s public services.

“These people contribute. They pay taxes, and those taxes help fund our public services,” he said.

Several major labour organizations — including the Centrale des syndicats démocratiques (CSD), the Confédération des syndicats nationaux (CSN), the Centrale des syndicats du Québec (CSQ), and the FTQ — joined the news conference Tuesday, along with the Quebec Migrant Agricultural Workers Support Network (RATTMAQ), to call on the government to raise permanent immigration levels as a way to reduce the number of temporary immigrants.

“Quebec has long-term demographic, labour and service needs. We must meet those needs by offering permanent status to immigrants who are already here,” said Katia Lelièvre, vice-president of the CSN.

“To do that responsibly, we need to raise the permanent residency thresholds by admitting more of the temporary residents who are already living here. That will help reduce their overall numbers.”

According to Statistics Canada, there are roughly 562,000 temporary immigrants currently living in Quebec.

–This report by La Presse Canadienne was translated by CityNews