Coalition government would expel immigrants who fail to learn French

The perennially divisive topic of language politics surfaced on the Quebec campaign trail Friday as the leader of the Coalition Avenir Quebec promised his government would force new immigrants to leave the province if they don’t learn French within three years.

After two weeks of campaigning nearly devoid of language talk, the issue jumped into the spotlight on Day 16 as party leaders responded to Francois Legault’s proposals with differing visions on how best to integrate immigrants into French-speaking Quebec.

Speaking early Friday, Legault said new immigrants would be given a temporary permit upon entry and then have three years to take free language courses and pass a basic Frenchlanguage test.

Those who fail would not be granted permission to stay and would be considered to be in the country illegally, he said.

Legault said most people should pass easily, but he’s open to offering an extension or exemption to seniors or those with learning disabilities.

“I will be open to accommodations, if someone has learning difficulties,’’ he told reporters. “Of course we won’t ask them for the same.’’

“I want to be human. I don’t want to ask them to do something that is impossible.’’

Legault said more than 50 per cent of immigrants who arrive in the province don’t speak French and that many of those end up leaving or facing high levels of unemployment.

He warned that under present conditions, the use of French will gradually disappear.

“If year after year we accept 50,000 immigrants and most don’t speak French, it’s a matter of time,’’ he said.

“It might take one, two, three generations but it’s a matter of time before we stop speaking French in Montreal and that’s not what I want.’’

The Coalition has proposed lowering the number of immigrants to the province to 40,000 a year from the current 50,000.

Legault’s proposal was panned by Liberal Leader Philippe Couillard, who accused his rival of fear-mongering and wanting to “break up families.’’

He argued that Quebec’s immigration policy has been a success, noting that about 50 per cent of all jobs in recent years have been filled by immigrants.

“Immigrants are learning French, and you know where they learn it best? At work,’’ he said in Gatineau, near the Ontario border.