Lawyers fight Quebec in court over plan to scrap 18,000 immigration applications Social Sharing

Quebec immigration lawyers are in a packed Montreal courtroom this morning trying to overturn the province’s decision to cancel thousands of immigration applications.

An association of immigration lawyers that’s known by its French acronym AQAADI is taking aim at Bill 9, which was tabled in the National Assembly by Immigration Minister Simon Jolin-Barrette on Feb. 7.

As part of the legislation, the Coalition Avenir Québec government is discarding 18,139 unprocessed immigration files from skilled workers, the immigration program managed by the province.

The CAQ has said applicants can reapply once Quebec’s immigration system is overhauled under a system that better addresses the province’s labour shortage.

Ho Sung Kim, a lawyer with the AQAADI, called the government’s decision “irresponsible” and said it will leave thousands of families in limbo.

“It’s not just the numbers and stats,” he said prior to Friday’s hearing in Quebec Superior Court.

“It’s not just the paperwork. There are people behind that who have been [devoting] their lives to immigrate to Quebec.”

The court challenge was filed on behalf of Seeun Park, a trained nurse from South Korea who has applied to settle in Quebec as a skilled worker.

The AQAADI says prospective immigrants, including Park, have already received a notice saying their applications will no longer be processed.

Plan derided as ‘cavalier’

A number of groups, including unions, business groups and the Canadian Bar Association, are lining up against the CAQ’s plan.

The CSQ labour federation, which represents 200,000 workers, issued a statement Thursday calling the CAQ’s decision “cavalier” and “heartbreaking.”

The Conseil du Patronat, which represents Quebec’s biggest businesses, said it “undermines Quebec’s credibility on the international scene and reinforces cynicism about our immigration system.”

The Quebec chapter of the Canadian Bar Association sent a letter to Jolin-Barrette, saying it considers the move illegal.

It said cancelling the applications “tarnishes Quebec’s image among the applicants it seeks to attract.”

Jolin-Barrette declined to comment Thursday on the bar association letter and said the government will defend itself in court.

The CAQ’s promises to cut the number of immigrants and introduce a values test for new arrivals were key promises to their election campaign last fall.

The government tabled a plan last December to reduce the number of immigrants Quebec accepts this year to 40,000, down from more than 50,000 last year.

The immigration cuts have raised concerns from businesses already facing a labour shortage.

Quebec’s unemployment rate reached a historic low of 6.1 per cent last year.