Immigration threshold should be increased to 60,000: trade board

The Chamber of Commerce of Metropolitan Montreal says it still believes the Quebec government needs to increase the province's immigration threshold to 60,000 — a stance it has held since 2016.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, board president Michel Leblanc said the province has what it takes to welcome 60,000 people and doing so could go a long way in helping the labour challenges Quebec is facing.

“This need, which is quite predictable, can be explained by the demographic tightening of Quebec's population, which is occurring at a time when our economy is experiencing strong structural momentum,” Leblanc said.

“Our society as a whole has to contend with a sustained increase in the number of vacancies in all areas, from health care to education to high-tech sectors.”

Leblanc said Quebec should adopt a global approach to immigration, targeting people who fit the province's needs, both in cities and regions.

He also suggests that the boost in immigrants should be accompanied by a strategy to offset the housing crisis.

Lastly, Leblanc argued that the government should take into account how Quebec's demographic weight in Canada has changed through the years.

“This share has been declining every year since 1966, and could accelerate with Ottawa's new immigration targets,” Leblanc wrote. “To avoid undermining our political influence within Canada, the 60,000 threshold we are defending today must be seen as a minimum that will grow in the future.”

The province's current immigration threshold is set at 50,000 a year.

During the 2022 election campaign, Premier François Legault said a hike in new arrivals beyond 50,000 a year would be “suicidal” for the future of French in the province.