The move is the federal government’s attempt to “ensure the integrity” of the program, Ottawa said, according to the CBC report.
Previously, Quebec Premier François Legault talked about holding a “referendum” on immigration if the federal government doesn’t act fast to control the rising number of temporary immigrants, said CTV News. The premier claimed the number of immigrants is straining Quebec’s healthcare, education and housing systems.
However, it’s the government’s “lack of political will to improve” the immigration system in the province that’s a problem, according to Melissa Claisse, communications and advocacy coordinator at the Welcome Collective, in the report.
“We’re pretty alarmed by the insistence of the provincial government to make immigrant scapegoats for problems that existed a long time, in some cases decades,” she said.
From April 1, 2023 to March 31, 2024, the federal government agency issued $2.1 million in Administrative Monetary Penalties (AMP) to employers found to be non-compliant with the rules of the program. That is up by approximately 36 per cent from the prior fiscal year, when $1.54 million in administrative monetary penalties were issued.