The province of Quebec’s premier said Tuesday the province is imposing a six-month ban, starting in September, on the entry of new temporary foreign workers for low-wage jobs in Montreal.
François Legault’s announcement comes as his government is calling for a “significant and rapid” reduction in the number of temporary immigrants in Quebec. He said the province is welcoming newcomers but has “clearly exceeded its capacity for integration.”
“This puts a huge strain on public services,” Legault said, specifically mentioning education, health and housing.
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Provincial officials said the temporary suspension will also apply to application renewals of current temporary foreign workers in the city.
Legault also announced that his government plans to introduce a bill in the fall to limit the number of foreign students in the province.
Federal Employment Minister Randy Boissonnault said he has approved the province’s proposal to put a short-term pause on applications in Montreal.
“New applications for low-wage temporary foreign workers will not be considered, except in the construction, agriculture, food processing, education and social service sectors,” he wrote in a statement posted on social media.
“Our government will be closely monitoring this policy change as it makes its own decisions about future changes to the TFWP.”
more to come
, With files from The Canadian Press
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