Quebec Immigration Minister Simon Jolin-Barrette apologized to the public on Tuesday for his handling of proposed reforms to the Quebec Experience Program (PEQ) after the province backtracked on its plan.
“I take full responsibility for the errors in the reform,” Jolin-Barette said. “It’s my mistake. It will not happen again.”
The minister said he should have consulted with the business and education sectors before having made any decisions about the popular immigration program. The program serves as a fast track to permanent residency in the province for international students and foreign workers.
READ MORE: CAQ government drops controversial reforms to PEQ immigration program
The Coalition Avenir Québec government announced Friday it was suspending the set of reforms to the PEQ after public outcry last week over the recently announced changes to tighten the rules around program eligibility.
The PEQ changes originally did not include a grandfather clause protecting those who were already studying and working in Quebec.
After the outcry, the government softened its stance to include a grandfather clause, guaranteeing people already in the program would not lose their eligibility even if they don’t meet the new selection criteria.
READ MORE: Coalition Avenir Québec government continues to face backlash over immigration reforms
Last week, Jolin-Barrette attributed the suspension of his overhaul to the program to pressure from “different players in the economy and education fields.” He said the list of eligible degrees and jobs will be revised in collaboration with relevant stakeholders.
Jolin-Barrette, however, stood by his stance that there is an “urgency to reform the immigration system to be sure to select immigrants based on Quebec’s job market,” but acknowledged that he passed the reform too quickly, without adequate consultations.
The minister said the suspension to the reform is temporary while he “returns to the drawing board.”
Premier François Legault also apologized on Tuesday, saying he was especially apologetic to the students affected.
Legault agreed that the reform was passed too fast. He also reiterated that Quebec’s selection of future immigrants should consider “the manpower we are lacking in some sectors.”
— With files from Global News’ Annabelle Olivier and Gloria Henriquez