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The provincial government of Quebec is planning to launch a consultation to understand the pinions and views of its residents regarding immigration, diversity, and inclusion in the province. The consultation move is making it easier for the government to implement the planned overhaul of its immigration policy.
The Immigration Minister for the province noted that finding a job was the biggest challenge for new Quebecers. The Minister opined that integration of the immigrant into the workforce through recognition of his or her professional skills was an issue that the government sought to address in its policy overhaul.
The government also plans to recognize foreign credentials; the absence of such recognition being a source of immense frustration for skilled immigrants from other countries. The Minister said that the government was aware of the feeling of exclusion that immigrants experience when they are unable to find jobs after shifting to the province.
To minimize instances of second generation immigrants failing to find jobs suited to their skills, the government plans to involve critical employers in the discussion about the new immigration policy planned by the government. There have been reports of instances of immigrants from visible minorities or those who don’t come across as French speakers struggling to find jobs in the province.
Speaking about the demand for a secular charter, the Minister said that the government prefers to focus on real issues related to immigration instead of talking about a charter of values, which would only lead to a divisive debate. These comments were aimed at the PQ leadership candidate, Bernard Drainville, who has announced his version of the new secular charter bill. Bernard has stated unequivocally that integration cannot occur without secularism, and that the State must remain neutral to preserve diversity.
The consultations about the new immigration policy are set to commence from the end of January 2015.
