Quebec to limit temporary foreign workers in Montreal with six-month freeze

Quebec is implementing a six-month freeze on the intake of new temporary foreign workers for low-wage jobs in Montreal starting in September, the province’s premier said Tuesday.

François Legault’s announcement comes as his government has been calling for a “significant and rapid” reduction in the number of temporary immigrants in Quebec. The total number across the province has doubled to 600,000 from 300,000 in just two years, he said.

Quebec is welcoming to newcomers, Legault said, but has “clearly surpassed its capacity of integration.”

He argues current immigration levels put the future of the French language “at risk,” especially in Montreal. Legault said the city is home to about 12,000 temporary foreign workers.

“It puts an enormous pressure on public services,” Legault said, referring to education, health and housing in particular.

The temporary suspension will also apply to application renewals by current temporary foreign workers in the city, provincial officials said.

“There will be exceptions,” Legault said. “Obviously we need teachers, we need nurses, so there will be exclusions.”

The construction and food processing sectors will be exempt from the cap. The freeze won’t apply to workers whose salary is higher than $57,000, the median salary in Quebec.

Federal Employment Minister Randy Boissonnault said he approved the province’s proposal to freeze applications in Montreal for a short period.

“Our government will closely monitor this policy change as it makes its own determinations about future changes to the TFWP,” he said in a statement posted on social media.

Earlier this month, a damning United Nations report described Canada’s temporary foreign worker program as a “breeding ground” for modern slavery because it