IRCC, Deputy Minister, Transition Binder, 2024 - The Relationship with Quebec
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Issue
- IRCC’s bilateral relationship with Quebec is defined by the 1991 Canada-Quebec Accord and is guided by the principle that immigration should help preserve Quebec’s demographic weight in Canada, as well as its distinct identity.
- The Accord is designed to ensure collaboration between both governments throughout the immigration process and across all immigration classes.
- The Ministry of Immigration, Francization and Integration (MIFI) is the provincial Department responsible for Immigration. The Minister of MIFI is Christine Fréchette. Your counterpart is MIFI Deputy Minister, Benoit Dagenais.
Background
The Canada-Quebec Accord: Roles and Responsibilities
- The Canada-Quebec Accord came into force in 1991. It is designed to preserve Quebec’s demographic weight and promote the integration of immigrants in the province while respecting its distinct identity.
- Quebec selects economic class immigrants and refugees resettled from outside of Canada, as well as people applying for permanent residence in Canada on humanitarian grounds or under public policy who intend to reside in the province, and the Government of Canada selects permanent residents in the family class and the protected persons class.
- Quebec and the Government of Canada jointly administer the International Student Program and the Temporary Foreign Worker Program.
- The federal government remains responsible for determining admissibility (i.e., health, safety and criminality) of all immigrants intending to go to Quebec, as well as issuing permanent resident visas.
- Although the federal government is responsible for determining the total number of immigrants for the entire country every year, it takes into account Quebec’s annual levels plan which sets out the number of immigrants the province wishes to receive.
- The consent of both parties is required to amend the Accord.
Overview
Quebec’s Immigration Levels Plan and Francization
Quebec’s Levels Plan
- Each year, Quebec tables its annual immigration levels plan. The most recent plan was tabled on November 1, 2023, reflecting Premier Legault’s intention to prioritize francophone economic immigration. For 2024 and 2025, Quebec expects to keep immigration targets at 50,000 annual admissions. Premier Legault aims to achieve 100% francophone economic class immigrants by 2026 and is focused on the successful integration and francization of immigrants.
- Quebec plans to increase the proportion of Francophones in the classes for which it already has selection authority (economic class and refugees selected abroad). [Redacted].
Francization
- In May 2023, Quebec announced major regulatory changes designed to improve the French language knowledge of immigrants destined to Quebec. These changes are related mainly to economic class immigration, including several measures aimed at strengthening Francophone immigration to Quebec.
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Family Class
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Federal Compensation to Quebec
- Quebec is the only province that receives annual compensation from IRCC for settlement services. In all other provinces and territories, IRCC provides annual settlement funding directly to settlement service providers in their respective jurisdictions through a third-party delivery system.
- The Quebec government is responsible for the design, delivery and administration of settlement and integration services to permanent residents, including pre-arrival services, information and orientation services, French language training, refugee resettlement services, labour market orientation, foreign credential recognition and support services.
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- The compensation formula based on the Canada-Quebec Accord includes a base amount and an annual escalation factor. That factor is determined based on the percentage increase of net federal expenses and the number of non-Francophone immigrants who come to Quebec compared with the previous year.
- The total funding included in the 2023-2024 Main Estimates for the grant to Quebec is 726.7 million dollars. [Redacted].This amount will be included in the Supplementary Estimates C expected to be tabled on February 12, 2024.
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Reform and Integrity of the International Student Program
- IRCC and Quebec share the same objectives to strengthen the protection of students and the integrity of the International Student Program. [Redacted].. However, international students is joint jurisdiction.
- On January 22, 2024, the federal government introduced a two-year cap on the number of study permit applications that IRCC will accept each year. Quebec will retain its autonomy to determine which applicants will receive the Certificat d’acceptation du Québec (CAQ) but will need to amend its processes to manage the cap on its allocation. IRCC is working with Quebec (and all provinces and territories) to implement the cap.
- Detailed information on International Student Program reforms can be found in a separate note.
Asylum Claimants and Pressure on Quebec Social Services
- Between 2017 and 2023, the majority of the asylum claimants entering Canada from the United States between designated ports of entry prior to the implementation of the Additional Protocol to the STCA were intercepted in Quebec at Roxham Road. Quebec has been a reliable partner in managing the movement of irregular border crossers.
- Since the start of interprovincial transfers of claimants from June 30, 2022 to October 31, 2023, IRCC has transferred nearly 10,500 claimants from Quebec to other Canadian provinces (Ontario, British Columbia, and the Atlantic provinces).
- While Premier Legault has responded positively to the implementation of the Additional Protocol, [Redacted].In response to the request, IRCC increased its hotel capacity in the province of Ontario, including in new municipalities, and expanded operations into other provinces including Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Newfoundland and Labrador.
- Following the implementation of the Additional Protocol to STCA on March 25, 2023, the number of claims submitted between ports of entry and at the Lacolle border crossing has dropped considerably.
- Despite the drop in irregular border crossings in Quebec, there has been an increase in asylum claims at Montréal-Trudeau International Airport. IRCC and the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) meet with Quebec regularly to discuss and manage volumes. At Quebec’s request, IRCC has resumed making hotel rooms available to claimants when the Quebec shelter system is at full capacity.
- [Redacted]. Through the Interim Housing Assistance Program (IHAP), Quebec was reimbursed $66.9M for interim housing pressures resulting from increased volumes of asylum claimant for 2021 and 2022. Premier Legault stated that Quebec’s reception capacity and social services were under pressure and reiterated Quebec’s request for reimbursement of the remaining $470M for costs incurred in 2021 and 2022. In response, Minister LeBlanc in statements on “X, formerly Twitter” acknowledged Quebec’s concerns and committed to working with the Government of Quebec to find solutions to the number of asylum seekers the province receives. [Redacted].
Next Steps
- IRCC representatives at the Assistant Deputy Minister (ADM) and working levels continue to meet with Quebec regularly to discuss a number of immigration files and issues impacting Quebec, including the reform to the International Student Program and the volume of asylum claims.
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