Quebec Announces Reduction of Permanent Immigration Targets to as Few as 25,000 Annually
Quebec plans to slash its permanent immigration targets to as few as 25,000 annually amid concerns over housing, employment, and French language preservation.
Quebec's immigration minister has announced a significant policy shift, revealing plans to considerably lower the province's permanent immigration targets. The upcoming strategy could see permanent immigration levels reduced to as few as 25,000 people per year, marking a substantial decline from current forecasts.
Jean-François Roberge, who leads the province's immigration portfolio, explained that the government will review three potential annual targets: 25,000, 35,000, and 45,000 immigrants. This is a sharp contrast to current projections, which anticipate that Quebec would accept approximately 64,000 permanent immigrants in 2025.
Roberge highlighted several pressing concerns driving the need to lower immigration figures. Among these are rising unemployment rates within Quebec, an increasing strain on housing resources, and ongoing challenges in safeguarding the French language—a cultural and political priority for the province. "We need to ensure our capacity to integrate newcomers while maintaining the vitality of French and addressing social and economic pressures," he emphasized.
The minister also addressed temporary immigration, calling on the federal government to halve the number of temporary immigrants allowed in Quebec through national programs. Currently estimated at over 400,000 individuals, Roberge says the province wants this figure cut to 200,000, underscoring the need for greater provincial control and coordination with Ottawa regarding immigration matters.
Before finalizing its targets for the period 2026 to 2029, the Quebec government plans to hold public consultations to gather feedback from citizens, stakeholders, and community leaders. Roberge assured that the government would take a broad range of perspectives into account before announcing the definitive policy path later this year.
The proposed changes signal a significant policy recalibration for Quebec, reflecting both demographic realities and political sensitivities surrounding immigration and language protection. The outcome of the consultations is set to play a pivotal role in shaping Quebec’s approach to immigration over the next several years.
