Businessmen criticize the requirement to learn French for foreigners in Quebec
Many employers believe that migrants cannot learn the language in a short time.
In May of this year, Bill 96 officially came into force, requiring everyone coming to Quebec to learn French within six months of arriving in the province. This requirement sparked a wave of criticism, particularly from the Council of Canadian Innovators (CCI). On Tuesday, June 14, 2022, 37 technology companies sent a letter to Quebec Premier François Legault urging him to suspend the law.
Quebec employers believe that the allotted 6 months is too short a period to learn French. In addition, representatives point out that the help for newcomers — the program "francisation du Québec" — will not begin to function until next year. During this time, immigrants will not be able to learn French properly on their own.
"By the time the government launches the Frankification of Quebec, the new law will have already dissuaded workers from all over the world from choosing Quebec as a new place to build a life and start a family," the letter states.
Employers believe that because of the Bill's unrealistic requirements, immigrants will choose other provinces to relocate, which could significantly reduce the number of highly skilled professionals coming to Quebec. Company representatives point out that immigrants may not have enough time to learn the language, because once they arrive they need to adapt and deal with current issues of housing, employment and everyday life.
In addition, many criticize Bill 96, seeing its implementation as an increase in discrimination against immigrants and their families who do not speak French.
The full article is only available to members of the Immigrant.Today community. Log in to your account to read it for free.
