Quebec wants the next federal government to cut immigration. Businesses say not so fast
Immigrants essential to province's economic growth and stability, groups say
In 2019, Roddy Larhubarbe left his native Mauritius to take a job more than 14,000 kilometres away at a meat processing plant in rural Quebec. His girlfriend – now wife — joined him a year and a half later.
Larhubarbe arrived as a temporary worker, became a permanent resident and is aiming to become a Canadian citizen.
"It was an opportunity," he said of the life change, speaking by phone as he prepared for a shift at Olymel's pork processing plant in Yamachiche, Que.
Businesses like Olymel are concerned cuts to immigration levels would make it more difficult to recruit workers like Larhubarbe.
At the outset of the campaign, Quebec Premier François Legault called on the next federal government to reduce the number of temporary immigrants in the province, saying it was putting a strain on the housing market, social services and Quebec identity.
Legault released a letter citing the high number of asylum seekers and foreign workers under the federal international nobility program as "a major obstacle to reversing the decline of French in Quebec."
Change in tune
With polls suggesting rising anxiety over newcomers, the two leading parties have said they would cap immigration levels.
The Conservatives said they would reduce the number of non-permanent residents in Quebec and grant the province more powers.
Mark Carney's Liberals — the same party that championed immigration for years under Justin Trudeau — now say they would maintain current caps until Canada has the capacity to welcome more newcomers.
The NDP has not set an immigration target, but says levels should match Canada's needs and take into account whether there are enough resources to welcome newcomers.
In Quebec, immigration is a shared responsibility between the province and the federal government, and Legault has pushed for complete control over the process — something the Bloc Québécois also supports.
Record immigration levels
The province has seen record immigration levels, driven largely by an increase in non-permanent residents, such as temporary foreign workers, asylum seekers and international students.
"In the last few years, the population growth was abnormal for Quebec and Canada," said Emna Braham, executive director of l'Institut du Québec, a Quebec think tank. Braham said immigration has clear economic benefits, but has not been well managed.
"We lost control of certain programs of immigration, so there was a need to regain control," she said.
Before the federal campaign, the Legault government made several changes to claw back immigration levels, including a moratorium on new temporary foreign workers in places like Montreal or large urban centres, as well as cuts to international students and access to postgraduate work permits.
'Yo-yo situation'
In response to the province's moves, Quebec business groups and some mayors have been outspoken about the need for both levels of government to maintain a steady flow of immigrants.
Adèle Garnier, an associate professor of geography and immigration expert at Université Laval in Quebec City, said immigration has become highly politicized, putting the provincial government at odds with businesses and municipalities.
"If there are no immigrants and there wouldn't be any growth, that would be very difficult," she said.
The Fédération des chambres de commerce du Québec recently urged "both levels of government to collaborate to maintain the current level of temporary foreign workers," which the group called "essential to Quebec's economic stability."
The key for businesses is "predictability," said Denis Hamel, strategic adviser to the president of the Conseil du patronat du Québec, a business lobby group.
"Businesses have to plan their labour force years in advance," he said in an interview. "So this yo-yo situation that's coming from the government is really, really disturbing."
Louis Banville, vice-president of human resources at Olymel, said newcomers make up about 12 per cent of the company's 12,000-plus labour force in the province.
Banville said it would be difficult to find enough workers without immigrants, given the province's aging population — especially in the regions.
Olymel wants "pragmatism and vision over the long-term" from the next government, he said.
'Foreign workers must be a last resort,' ministry says
A spokesperson for Quebec's Immigration Ministry said the Coalition Avenir Québec government is "sensitive to the concerns and worries raised."
"However, there are too many non-permanent residents in Quebec, including temporary foreign workers," spokesperson William Demers said in a statement. "Public services are stretched to the limit by this excessive number of foreign nationals, and housing is in short supply."
In addition to its demand at the federal level, Demers said the province will soon announce a long-term plan "focusing on the balance between the prosperity of our regions, the supply of public services and housing.
"Businesses must turn to automation and robotization," the statement said. "Foreign workers must be a last resort."
Mostafa Heneway, an organizer with the Immigrant Workers Centre in Montreal, said immigrants have been treated like a "political football."
He said immigrants are depicted as both a solution and a problem, when "it's clear that it's just a lack of will and resources."
Larhubarbe, the Olymel worker, has heard the rhetoric around immigration — and said there's more to the story.
He said his job can be physically and mentally taxing but that he wanted to start a new life.
"We see only the dark side of immigrants," he said.
"They don't see how immigrants are doing a lot of jobs, paying taxes, keeping the economy going."
With files from Kwabena Oduro