Quebec Will Accept 3,000 More Haitian Refugees

By William Miller

Impunity Watch Reporter, North America

QUEBEC, Canada - Immigration and Cultural Communities Minister Yolande James announced on Wednesday that Quebec would temporarily relax its immigration policy to allow more Haitians affected by the earthquake to immigrate into the country.

The temporary measures, which will be in place from February 17 to December 31, will allow for an additional 3,000 Haitians to immigrate into Quebec over the next year. The new policy will allow Haitians currently living in Canada to sponsor a broader range of residents for reunification with their families residing in Canada. Under the normal plan, only ascendants and descendants can be sponsored for immigration, typically allowing for parents, spouses, child and grandchildren only. Quebec's new temporary system will extend the policy to siblings and their families.

The 3,000 immigrants will exceed the 1,500 Haitians already approved for reunification this year. James said Quebec has set the cut off at 3,000 because Quebec lacks the facilities to properly integrate any more than that and would do them a disservice if they allowed them to immigrate. He also mentioned that the Haitian Prime Minister was concerned that Haiti would be deserted by the end of the year. At a press conference in Montreal James said “Why a maximum of 3,000? It's because we want to respect our capacity to integrate. We would be helping nobody in saying we accept an unlimited number of people. I think it is a generous plan. We alone in Quebec cannot help all of Haiti. We are doing our part with 3,000."

James further stated that decisions as to who would be allowed to enter the country would be made based on individual need. Haitian officials have been supportive of this policy. Haiti's consul-general to Montreal, Pierre-Richard Casimir said "It's all well and good to bring people in but there has to be the capacity to integrate them so they can fully enjoy the advantages they have in Quebec and Montreal and be profitable for the country they are from."

Canada is already home to about 100,000 Haitians. Over ninety percent of them are in Quebec. The majority of Haitians living in Canada have settled in Montreal.

For more information, please see:

AFP - Quebec to Take in 3,000 More Haitian Immigrants - 4 February 2010

Montreal Gazette - Quebec to Welcome 3000 Extra Refugees - 4 February 2010

CBC - Quebec Relaxes Immigration Rules for Haitians - 3 February 2010