Quebec Annually Requires 80,000 Immigrants for Making All Round Progress

For sustaining a sturdy economy in the province Quebec is in need of many immigrants than it is targeting currently.  In the preceding years, this province welcomed 50,000 immigrants in a year. Also calculated as per the basis of per capita, Quebec has a newcomer intake that has a sixth rank among the territories and provinces of Canada.

The decision in 2018, to reduce this intake, to 41,800 for the present year, under the patronage of seeking improved integration of newcomers, means that it is falling way behind. Additionally, its timing is unfortunate.

A recent study also shows that Quebec is aging at a fast rate than the national average. Moreover, the birth rate stands at a low level.

The demographic reality hurts the present standards of life and also constrains the speedy economic growth. There is a curtailment of tax revenues required to fund its social services, for the people to enjoy like education, subsidized daycare and health care.

There is a forecast in the study that death rate in Quebec will be more than the birth rate by 2028. The trend will not happen nationally until 2034. There is a clear indication that Quebec needs to identify ways to grow population urgently in comparison to other provinces/territories.

Immigration happens to be a realistic solution for population growth. The attempts in promoting high birth rate among the western nations have not met success, and Quebec presents a proof. It has a universal program for daycare, but its birth rate is low. Consequently, this study projects the fact that the total population growth in Quebec will come only by using immigration in the years till 2023.

Quebec Last week announced an increase of immigration target for 2020 at 44,500 fresh arrivals and also stated of restoring immigration to 50,000 by 2022. The demographic circumstances state that this level is low. If this immigration trend between for the next two decades its economy will annually grow by just 1.4 percent compared to the Canadian average forecast of 1.9 percent. This will also have negative consequences economically.

Businesses will opt to invest in other provinces that have a strong rate of population growth because of the presence of more workers, to produce/use goods and services. 

Economic growth in Quebec will strengthen to 1.7 percent in two decades if it greets a proportionate share of fresh arrivals, based on its eligibility under the provisions of Canada-Quebec Accord. The agreement enables it to admit a share based on the percentage of immigrants answering to the proportion of its demographic weight in the country.

Today as per the population size, Quebec can welcome 23 percent among the Canadian immigrants, every year that is close to 75,000.

Canada aims to continue the increase in its existing immigration level. In case Quebec exercises its rights as per the Accord, it can welcome 80,000 persons annually.

Quebec made the decision of reducing the levels based on improving the integration at the social and economic level but the data demonstrates that economic integration has improved in the past years.

Participation and employment of Immigrant and their wages, increased and the unemployment rate decreased. 

The demographic challenges of Quebec and scarcity of labors will benefit Canadians and also the immigrant workers. The recent reforms of Quebec will result in positive economic integration.

With a rapid increase in aging population compounded by the low rate of birth, Quebec needs to welcome more immigrants to match the level of other provinces.