After sounding the alarm on the issue of asylum seekers the day before, Minister Christine Fréchette expressed anger at Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's timid response to Quebec's complaints.
• Also read: Asylum seekers: Quebec invokes a “humanitarian crisis”
“The federal government is completely out of control. He must be aware of the reality in Quebec caused by the excessive arrival of asylum seekers,” thundered the immigration minister when asked about the Canadian prime minister's reaction.
On Tuesday, four ministers in the Legault government highlighted the damaging impact of the influx of asylum seekers on public services. Quebec, CAQ elected officials confirm, welcomes 55% of those people who come to Canada seeking refugee status.
The Legault government is particularly calling for a better distribution of these new arrivals across Canadian territory.
- Listen to the interview Jean-François Roberge, MP for Chambly and Minister for French Language with Mario Dumont on QUB:
Quebec is demanding something concrete
“We presented to you yesterday the impacts, particularly on emergency aid, on education, etc. So the time for discussions with Quebec is over. Now is the time to take urgent action. This needs to be on the federal drawing board,” Ms. Fréchette said.
The day before, the Canadian Prime Minister had briefly commented on the departure of the four CAQ ministers.
He recalled that his government had already committed “hundreds of millions of dollars” to help Quebec.
Hatred and xenophobia
One thing is certain: the CAQ ministers' comments displeased the director general of the French-speaking organization Amnesty International Canada, France-Isabelle Langlois.
International Relations Minister Jean-François Roberge said Tuesday that the massive arrival of new arrivals beyond Quebec's capacity could damage Quebec's identity.
“To say that the 'Quebec identity' is threatened by asylum seekers is tantamount to a dangerous call for hatred and xenophobia.” That Quebec is following the extremely worrying trend of xenophobic populism that is being observed everywhere, especially in Europe is a cause for great concern @AmnestyCA», wrote Ms. Langlois on the X platform.
To say that the “Quebec identity” is threatened by asylum seekers is dangerously tantamount to inciting hatred and xenophobia. That Quebec is following the extremely worrying trend of xenophobic populism seen everywhere, particularly in Europe, is a matter of great concern…
— France-Isabelle Langlois (@filangloisAICF) February 21, 2024
At the end of the day, Wednesday, it was impossible to reach France-Isabelle Langlois.
The CAQ's exit also angered Quebec Solidarity Party MP Guillaume Cliche-Rivard, who previously specialized in refugee rights. “I didn’t like the tone of the press conference, I think there was a complete lack of friendliness,” he said.
“What threatens Quebec's identity is the failure of Francisation Québec, it is the failure of Ms. Fréchette to create a system that works,” says Guillaume Cliche-Rivard.
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