Trudeau refuses to cede immigration powers to Quebec

Toronto (Canada), March 15 (EFE). – Canadian Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, said on Friday that the Canadian government will not give up its absolute powers regarding immigration to the province of Quebec, at the request of the provincial executive.

Trudeau announced in a press conference after his meeting with Quebec Prime Minister Francois Legault that although the province enjoys certain privileges due to the need to protect the French language, Ottawa will not make further concessions.

“No, we will not give Quebec more immigration powers. It already has more immigration powers than any other province because it is very important to protect the French language. What I care about is making sure that the system works well,” he explained.

The meeting comes days after the Sovereignty Quebec party requested a referendum for the province to assume all immigration powers.

The Canadian Prime Minister also acknowledged that Quebec has received a large number of immigrants in recent years, whether refugee seekers, international students or temporary workers, but his government has already taken measures to mitigate the situation.

Trudeau added that his government could reduce the number of temporary workers accepted each year into the country, such as those who work for several months on Canadian farms and in many cases come from Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean, in response to complaints from Canada. Several governorates.

On March 1, Canada began requiring visas from Mexican tourists after Legault called for the measure due to the growing number of people coming to the country to seek asylum, in many cases Mexican citizens.

In 2023 alone, Quebec received 60,000 asylum seekers, saturating its social systems.

Legault's party, the nationalist conservative Coalition for Quebec (CAQ), has been demanding since 2015 that Quebec take over all immigration powers, which are currently a federal responsibility. Evie

JKR/Mgr