Quebec Premier Francois Legault has put a six-month freeze on parts of the Temporary Foreign Worker Program in Montreal.
Speaking at a press conference on Tuesday, Legault again said the rise in temporary migrants were to blame for many of the province’s issues in housing, health and social services, as well as the decline in the French language.
Minister of Immigration, Francization and Integration Christine Fréchette also justified the move by saying that key demographics face unemployment rates above 10 per cent in Montreal.
Speaking to CKUT after the announcement, the Immigrant Workers Centre’s Mostafa Henaway said the changes are largely symbolic. He says a more meaningful change would be to end the system of closed work permits that tie temporary foreign workers to a single employer, and leave them open to abuse.
