Québec solidaire targets 70,000 annual immigrants under platform unveiled by Ruba Ghazal

Québec solidaire is proposing a permanent annual immigration ceiling of 70,000 newcomers, with a focus on keeping immigrants in Quebec's regions, its co-leader Ruba Ghazal said this week. The platform pitch comes as the party, which currently holds 11 of 125 seats in the National Assembly, aims to form government in the October 5 provincial election.

"I'm coming to this campaign because I want to form a Québec solidaire government," Ghazal said. The party's strategy in its strongholds—Montreal and electoral divisions where QS already has members—hinges on demonstrating that electing QS representatives makes a difference. "People in Montreal and all over the place where we have MNAs, they know that it makes a difference to have a Québec solidaire MNA to represent them in Parliament," Ghazal said, adding that the party has been efficient in opposition and offers daily solutions to residents' problems.

On immigration, Ghazal argued that other parties' proposals set caps too low, which has resulted in families being separated for five to seven years under the current system. "We want to have permanent immigration. This is the solution and this is what I want to focus on and the number that we want is 70,000. It's very reasonable," she said. The party plans to encourage immigrants to settle in regions beyond Montreal and wants to restore the Program of Quebec Experience (PEQ), which the CAQ government cut. "We will re-establish and to put back the PEQ that was cut by the CAQ government because we give a promise, we give our promise to the people," Ghazal said.

The specific immigration proposals of the CAQ, Parti Québécois, and Quebec Liberals for this election are not detailed in available reporting.