Montreal Mayor Calls on Quebec Government to Reverse Immigration Program Decision
Montreal Mayor Soraya Martinez Ferrada has issued a strong appeal to the Quebec provincial government, urging officials to reverse their decision to abruptly terminate a key immigration program. Speaking during a city council meeting, the mayor emphasized that the credibility of both Quebec and Montreal is now at stake due to this controversial policy change.
Credibility and Reputation Concerns
"The message we are sending is very clear: the credibility of Quebec and Montreal is at stake," Mayor Martinez Ferrada declared during her presentation of a joint declaration. She stressed that this situation extends beyond mere statistics, stating, "This isn't about numbers; we're talking about people who trusted us and decided to come and settle here."
The mayor expressed serious concerns about the program's termination damaging Montreal's international reputation and appeal as a destination for skilled workers and students. "We are already losing talent and minds, which Montreal and Quebec greatly need," she warned. "This directly damages our reputation and our appeal, and we cannot risk losing any more."
Program Background and Impact
The Programme de l'expérience québécoise (PEQ) was originally launched in 2010 with the specific purpose of retaining foreign students and temporary workers by offering them a fast-track pathway to permanent residency. The Coalition Avenir Québec government ended this program in November, leaving numerous individuals who had not yet been granted permanent residency in a state of uncertainty and limbo.
The declaration presented by Montreal's city council urges the provincial government to establish "predictable, humane and coherent" pathways to residency for temporary workers who came to Quebec under the PEQ program. Additionally, it calls for a grandfather clause that would protect those who held temporary immigration permits when the program was abolished.
Political Support and Personal Testimonies
Projet Montréal interim leader Ericka Alneus, who proposed the declaration, addressed affected individuals directly during the council meeting. "We will be there, we will fight for you," Alneus assured them. "We are privileged to have people of your calibre who have decided to settle here, who want to work here, to study here."
Maeva Vilain, a Projet Montréal city councillor representing the Plateau-Mont-Royal borough, shared her personal connection to the issue, having arrived in Montreal through a similar immigration program years earlier. She emphasized the human dimension behind the policy change, noting that affected individuals include "neighbours, parents, nurses, merchants, community workers and entrepreneurs."
"They are people who are moving Montreal and Quebec forward and want to continue to do so," Vilain stated. "Now the Quebec government is telling these people who have crossed oceans — who have Quebec tattooed on their hearts — that it's all over."
Growing Pressure on Provincial Government
The issue initially came to the city council's attention in December when people affected by the program's termination attended a monthly meeting and called on municipal officials to pressure the provincial government to reconsider its decision. Montreal has now joined numerous individuals, organizations, and municipalities asking the Quebec government to either reconsider abolishing the PEQ program or at minimum offer a fair alternative for those impacted.
Mayor Martinez Ferrada reinforced this position, stating, "Montreal joins the many individuals, organizations and municipalities that are asking the Quebec government to reconsider abolishing the program or to at least offer a fair alternative." The city invited some affected individuals to attend Monday's meeting when the declaration was formally adopted, demonstrating solidarity with those facing immigration uncertainty.
