If the Legault government manages to impose knowledge on French in cases of family reunification, a “talent exodus” could occur in Quebec, according to some observers. A legal battle could also ensue, lawyers said, because of the potentially discriminatory nature of such a proposal.
It will ruin the plans of thousands of people, prediction by Philippe Babin. Himself in the process of family reunification, the 42-year-old man has been challenged by the immigration debates that are enlivening the National Assembly these days.
In his opinion, it will be not reasonable to oblige immigrants to go through the family reunification process to learn French before settling in Quebec, as desired by Premier François Legault.
This is almost impossible, argues Mr. Babin, relying on his own history. When he left Quebec in the early 2000s out of love for his job as a DJ, he married an Indonesian with whom he had three children.
The small family, who have always lived in Europe and Asia, now plans to settle in Quebec for good. He has already bought a house, wants to invest in real estate and continue his music production activities.
” I want my children to learn my culture […] I want my husband to also experience the four seasons, experience the culture of Quebec and be closer to my family. “
A future project that could be compromised
For children, there is no issue: they acquired Canadian citizenship at birth. However, Mr.’s wife. Babin is a foreigner and therefore must go through a family reunification program to live in Canada.
If prior knowledge of French is required, he will not be able to comply, Mr. admits. Babin. French is not the only language very difficulthe says, but the resources to learn it in Indonesia are very limited.
The life plan of the whole family is therefore compromised, even if only Mr.’s wife. Babin does not have Canadian citizenship.
” I am Canadian, I am Quebecer. Even my children […] It would be outright discrimination against me to say that my husband cannot sponsor to go and live in Quebec. “
Philippe Babin was convinced of the importance of protecting the French in Quebec. Her husband plans to take francization courses when he arrives. However, it requires prior knowledge of the language in the loss of Quebeche believes.
“It is guaranteed that you will never return to Quebec because you know you need to have a high level of French. “
The lawyer advising him on his immigration procedures, Me Maxime Lapointe, maintains that many other candidates for family reunification will face this problem if the will of the Legault government is fulfilled.
” We must ensure, at all times, that we have the most effective conditions in terms of selection and admission to prevent the release of talent to other provinces or other countries. “
Thousands of people were affected
Over the past few days, Prime Minister François Legault has pointed out that nearly half of immigrants who benefit from family reunification do not speak French when they arrive in the land of Quebec.
According to data from the Ministry of Immigration, Francisation and Integration (MIFI), family reunification is represented approximately between 7,000 and 13,000 new arrivals each year, from 2016 to 2020.
Non-French speakers therefore represent approximately between 3,500 and 6,500 newcomers per year.
The office of Immigration Minister Jean Boulet would not comment on the possibility that these people might prefer to live elsewhere than in Quebec if the province manages to restore the powers it seeks.
Our goal is to generally increase the share of immigrants with knowledge of French before coming to Quebecrepeated the Minister’s press attaché, Maude Méthot-Faniel.
Possible misunderstanding?
However, the Quebec Association of Immigration Lawyers (AQAADI) does not agree with this proposal. If it comes true, it will likely be challenged in court, said its vice president Ho Sung Kim.
L ‘AQAADI will also study the possibility of bringing the action itself, according to Me Kim.
” If we ever put a barrier like the French on the spousal and partner sponsorship program, there will definitely be legal battles that follow, because that’s the [une atteinte] on the fundamental rights of Quebecers. “
Section 10 of the Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms cites language as an illegal basis of discrimination.
Quebec’s former Minister of Immigration, Diversity and Inclusion, David Heurtel, remains cautious about the possibility of a court battle, because we don’t [encore] of the text, whether legislative or regulatory, to view.
However, he judges within reason to believe that Quebec would deprive itself of vital workers, which would not be desirable in the current workforce context.
” We are in competition, even against other provinces in Canada like Ontario, British Columbia [ou] United States [et] Europe, for both talents. “
Mr. Heurtel is convinced that immigration is one of the solutions to combat the labor shortage and it is better to get used to it, as this will be the reality in the next 20 years.
There will be immigrants who don’t know French first, and what should be done instead is to see how we can better integrate, offer more resources to learn French.
In this regard, Minister Jean Boulet’s press attaché assures us of that for those who need to learn our common language, francization services will be offered to them.
So far, the federal government has imposed an end to non -acceptance on the Legault government in its efforts to gain more immigration power.
Source: Radio-Canada
