Protests Erupt Across Quebec Cities
Hundreds rallied in seven Quebec cities, including Gatineau, Montreal, and Quebec City, to oppose the provincial government’s decision to eliminate the Programme de l’expérience québécoise (PEQ). The program ended in November, stranding thousands of temporary workers and compelling some to leave for their home countries.
Personal Stories of Disrupted Dreams
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 neared application, the program halted and vanished.
“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 Montreal newcomers in organizing 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 many arrived following provincial recruitment drives promising PEQ pathways, only to face shattered expectations under the new rules.
Aram Musco, who moved from France to Montreal for studies, 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 Program Sparks Criticism
Immigration Minister Jean-François Roberge introduced the Programme de sélection des travailleurs qualifiés (PSTQ), a points-based system favoring regional residents outside Montreal and workers in health care and education.
Mayors highlight the need for immigrants in regional areas, while Quebec Liberal and Québec solidaire MNAs, municipal officials, and unions joined protests. They demand exemptions for those already in Quebec to apply under 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 declared at the Quebec City event.
In Gatineau, Liberal MNA André Fortin stressed immigrants’ 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. And that’s simply not the case.”
Government Stands Firm
The province projects the PSTQ will welcome around 29,000 economic immigrants. Officials refuse PEQ exemptions but commit to processing pre-abolition applications.
