Quebec’s centre-right opposition party, the Coalition Avenir Québec, has officially confirmed it intends to move forward with dog-whistle politics masquerading as a legitimate immigration policy.
Less than five months before Quebec’s provincial elections, and just a few months after mulling over the idea of a Quebec values test and language quiz for immigrants, the CAQ’scontroversial “orientation document” — spelling out its plans to force newcomers to assimilate — was leaked to the public.
The paper says that if brought into power in October, the party won’t expel immigrants if they fail to successfully integrate – it will simply flag them and urge Canada to do it on Quebec’s behalf. I’m not sure whether urge in this context means nudge, firmly suggest, or send a strongly worded letter, but I do know opportunistic vote-pandering when I see it.
Under the proposed immigration plan, immigrants to Quebec would receive a temporary three-year permit, referred to as a certificat d’accompagnement transitoire (CAT), and be tested on certain criteria such as knowledge of the French language before they can apply for Canadian residency.
New arrivals who don’t pass the test within four years would not receive a Quebec selection certificate, authorization to apply and would be flagged at the federal level for possible relocation or expulsion.
“If the person does not want to learn French, they will not have their selection certificate, so they will never be a citizen,” party leader François Legault told Radio-Canada earlier this week. “They become a person without status and it’s up to the federal government to decide what to do with that person.”
Leading in the polls, the CAQ goes all out on expulsion plan for unwanted immigrants
Mooncustafer 