The Media Roundup provides links to recent and archived articles, in both English and French, on immigration and diversity appearing in the national and local news. Some international content is also included. Articles are updated weekly.
CBC News — Quebec wants the next federal government to cut immigration. Businesses say not so fast
At the outset of the campaign, Quebec Premier François Legault called on the next federal government to reduce the number of temporary immigrants in the province, saying it was putting a strain on the housing market, social services and Quebec identity. Legault released a letter citing the high number of asylum seekers and foreign workers under the federal international nobility program as “a major obstacle to reversing the decline of French in Quebec.”
Le Devoir — Les sites d’hébergement pour demandeurs d’asile gérés par Québec sont loin d’être pleins
Bien que la hausse des demandes d’asile à la frontière terrestre se poursuive, les sites d’hébergement gérés par Québec sont encore aux deux tiers vides. La semaine dernière, le ministre de l’Immigration, Jean-François Roberge, a affirmé à plusieurs reprises : « Notre capacité d’accueil est dépassée. » Il réagissait à une remontée des demandes d’asile présentées à la frontière entre le Québec et les États-Unis, un phénomène qui s’observe surtout depuis le début mars, avec 1356 demandes reçues lors de ce seul mois.
La Voix de l’Est — Travailleurs étrangers temporaires: les hôteliers sonnent l’alarme
À l’approche de la haute saison touristique, les hôteliers du Québec mettent la pression sur Ottawa. Ils réclament un assouplissement urgent des règles encadrant le Programme des travailleurs étrangers temporaires (PTET), qu’ils jugent trop restrictives. Selon un sondage mené par l’Association des hôteliers du Québec (AHQ), 91 % des établissements éprouvent des difficultés à recruter du personnel pour la saison estivale 2025. Une situation qui, selon eux, pourrait compromettre la qualité du service offert aux visiteurs — et par ricochet, nuire à l’attractivité touristique de la province.
CTV News — Canada’s refugee policy could gain renewed attention amid U.S. deportations
With the 2025 federal election consumed by economic angst over U.S. tariffs, Canada’s refugee policy has largely faded from the spotlight. But a recent increase in asylum seekers at a Quebec border crossing could bring the issue back into focus — one that will extend far beyond the campaign trail. Whoever becomes the next prime minister will inherit a world in turmoil — from Ukraine to Gaza — and a country of sprawling diasporic communities with ties to displaced populations abroad. Even the current trade war has roots in U.S. President Donald Trump’s overblown rhetoric about a porous border and migration.
CBC News — B.C. accepting only 1,100 new skilled immigrant applications after feds slash provincial nominee program
The province said the changes are aimed at prioritizing where it spends its nominations after the federal government slashed the number of available slots, but the B.C. Chamber of Commerce said a focus on the health-care sector unfairly advantages the government’s needs over those of the business community. A bulletin from the province says it was only allotted 4,000 nominations this year, about half of what it had last year and substantially less than the 11,000 it wanted.
CBC News — New facility to house asylum seekers in Toronto with mental health services on site
A new facility designed to house and support refugees and asylum seekers in Toronto is set to open next month with a focus on addressing mental health issues. The Canadian Mental Health Association said Carlton House will accommodate up to 25 adults for six months to a year and provide them with help to find jobs and permanent housing. The CEO of the association’s Toronto branch, Michael Anhorn, said the two-floor, 11-bedroom facility will open in early May for clients who are already in the city’s homeless shelter system.
