Protests Across Seven Quebec Cities
Hundreds gathered in seven Quebec cities, including Gatineau, Montreal, and Quebec City, to protest the provincial government’s decision to abolish the Programme de l’expérience québécoise (PEQ) in November. The move has left thousands of temporary workers in uncertainty, with some facing deportation to their home countries.
Personal Stories from Protesters
Mariia Kolosova relocated from Ukraine to Quebec in 2023, aiming to secure permanent residency via the PEQ. She intensively studied French and chose a tourism job to meet eligibility requirements. Just as she accumulated enough experience, the program faced suspension and cancellation.
“The reason I came to Quebec, one of the reasons, was [because] my chances were quite high,” Kolosova stated at the Montreal rally. “Ukrainians, many of us, we don’t have a place to [go] back to. It’s not that easy to change your life from [scratch] again.”
Florent Pigeyre, an advisor for French citizens abroad, assists newcomers in Montreal with a lawsuit against the government. “I see a lot of [immigrants] contact me because the families are breaking apart, because they have to separate and go back to their country of origin,” he said. “It was not the plan. It’s not what had been sold to them from the Quebec government.”
Pigeyre noted that many arrived following provincial recruitment drives abroad, promised pathways through the PEQ, only to face altered criteria under the replacement program.
Aram Musco, who moved from France to Montreal for studies, also faces an uncertain future. “The main thing is it’s quite hard to anticipate the next steps,” he explained. “With the PSTQ, what’s quite difficult to manage and understand is that the criteria can evolve.” Musco emphasized that PEQ’s French proficiency standards already protected the language and that newcomers bolster the economy.
New Skilled Worker Program PSTQ
Immigration Minister Jean-François Roberge introduced the Programme de sélection des travailleurs qualifiés (PSTQ) as a replacement. This points-based system favors applicants in regions outside Montreal and in priority sectors like health care and education.
Mayors in various regions challenge the PEQ’s end, highlighting the need for immigrants to sustain local economies.
Political and Community Support
Quebec Liberal and Québec solidaire MNAs joined municipal officials and unions at the rallies. Participants demand exemptions for those already in the province to apply under the PEQ rules, a call echoed by business groups.
“We need to ensure stability for the people who come here… and that we ensure as well stability for all public services,” Québec solidaire co-spokesperson Sol Zanetti said at the Quebec City event.
In Gatineau, Liberal MNA André Fortin stressed that immigrants remain welcome. “The CAQ government has started to blame immigration for all of Quebec’s problems, whether it’s housing, whether it’s health care or education,” Fortin remarked. “And that’s simply not the case.”
The government maintains the PSTQ will accommodate around 29,000 economic immigrants annually. Roberge rejects exemptions, though applications submitted before the abolition will proceed.
