Are you a “Guardian Angel,” Ukrainian, or other immigrant who qualifies for a special labor recruitment program or who is permitted by the government to immigrate for humanitarian reasons? Be patient if you live in Quebec because the time to obtain permanent residence is currently more than 25 years, noted Le Devoir.
According to the latest data from Immigration Canada, nearly 12,000 people whose applications were approved by Ottawa are waiting for permanent residency. However, in these scenarios presented to the public consultation on immigration that begins on September 12, the Legault government proposes to maintain its target of 450 admissions per year in this category of humanitarian immigration, called “Other immigrants”.
These low thresholds result in a wait of 26 years before receiving the precious sesame, and that’s without taking into account the fact that new files are constantly being added to the list. With 12,000 people waiting, the number on file in Quebec alone is a third of that across Canada, where 33,000 immigrants admitted on humanitarian grounds are waiting.
Among the immigrants enduring these long delays are Ukrainians living in Quebec who are eligible for a new federal program that will allow them to apply for permanent residency starting Oct. 1, subject to certain conditions.
“It makes no sense,” said Quebec Association of Immigration Lawyers president Stéphanie Valois. “A specific program addresses a specific need. Once the federal government considers that a file is approved in principle, the person is in a situation where their compassion requires permanent residency. We can’t keep her waiting like this because she chose Quebec. »
According to Me Valois, such a wait is “worse than anything else” in the humanitarian immigration category because it also leads to longer delays in reuniting the entire family. “If the immigrant wants to have his family with him, he must first apply for their residency and then submit applications for their relatives. Imagine how long it will take. »
She emphasizes that in her practice it is not uncommon for children to exceed the age of 21 due to long processing times, which excludes them from possible sponsorship and makes family reunification more difficult.
The goals are still low
The targets in the “Other immigrants” category have always been the lowest compared to the three other categories: “Economic immigration”, “Family reunification” and “Refugees and people in similar situations”. As of 2020, they have even declined, from an average of 700 immigrants to an average of 450 immigrants, a number that will not change until 2027 under the government’s proposals.
Since these are only indicators, it sometimes happens that the thresholds of the immigration plan are exceeded. In 2018, 2019 and 2020, the actual number of people admitted in the “other immigrants” category was close to the target. On the other hand, forecasts from 2021 onwards have been significantly exceeded, particularly due to a backlog in the reception of immigrants with precarious status who worked in healthcare during the pandemic – the “Guardian Angel” program. In 2021, around 2,200 immigrants were admitted in this category, and around 2,500 in 2022, i.e. four to five times more.
Transparency required
Nelligan Liberal MP and official opposition immigration spokesman Monsef Derraji believes humanitarian immigration is also economic. “As we think about the Guardian Angel program, I don’t want to play the government’s game by saying that humanitarianism is not economical. THE [immigrants] Humanitarian workers, they are the guardian angels and everyone who holds positions that the majority of Quebecers did not want. They contribute directly to the enrichment of Quebec. »
Quebec Solidarity MP Guillaume Cliche-Rivard judges the delays to be “inhumane and excessive” and wonders how Immigration Minister Christine Fréchette can justify them. “This summer we learned that it could take up to three years to reunite families. Yesterday we learned that recognized refugees would have to wait ten years for a residence permit. Today we assume that it will take 20 years for humanitarian applicants: What is the MIFI? [ministère de l’Immigration, de la Francisation et de l’Intégration] Are you still hiding from us? » he explained and pleaded for more transparency.
In Minister Fréchette’s office, we say we are “very sensitive” to the situation of people who immigrate for humanitarian reasons. However, he claims that the government has always tried to maintain the “balance” between these immigrants in the humanitarian category and the “need to respond”. [aux] Labor demand in large centers and in [les] Regions”.
These issues could also be discussed in the consultations starting in two weeks. “The composition of this permanent immigration is being addressed. The groups that have submitted a letter and expressed the desire to be heard will be heard,” said press secretary Alexandre Lahaie.
And with a record number of interventions, there will still be a lot of work to do. The detailed consultation timetable, published on Thursday, calls for almost 10 days of hearings, sometimes lasting until 10.30pm.