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The president and CEO of the Chamber of Commerce of Metropolitan Montreal took a stand Wednesday against the Legault government’s proposed cap on international students, Bill 74, calling Montreal “one of the most dynamic university centres on the continent.”
Michel Leblanc urged the government to ensure that any future international student caps preserve this position.
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“International students are not a problem in Quebec,” Leblanc told a Bill 74 committee at the Legislature in Quebec City.
On Tuesday, Jean-François Roberge, Quebec’s immigration, francization and integration minister, told the committee that the number of international students in Quebec has soared from 50,000 a decade ago to 120,000 today. He argued that Quebec’s housing and public services are maxed out and French is threatened.
But Leblanc is concerned the proposed change would jeopardize Quebec’s economy. In 2019 and 2020, international students’ spending generated $427.4 million in GDP and supported more than 4,000 jobs. They also brought in $52.5 million in tax revenue, according to a statement from the chamber of commerce.
“University students in our home, that’s talent we should strive to keep here. Our strategy should be to retain the most number possible,” he argued.
“Students going to Harvard and MIT, their dream is not to stay in Boston,” Leblanc said, adding that in Montreal, students often come to stay.
Leblanc conceded that Quebec’s measures to create a more rigorous process to grant study permits is legitimate in order to better regulate access to permanent residence.
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“However, it is essential to guarantee clear and predictable administrative procedures so as not to undermine the stability of our institutions.”
He added that frequent changes to immigration policy “damages Montreal’s reputation as a top university destination in North America” and can discourage a skilled talent pool who have the skills to integrate quickly into the labour market.
In a written statement, the chamber of commerce wrote: “The objective to step up granting of study permits to students genuinely motivated by studying in Quebec is legitimate in order to better regulate access to permanent residence. However, it is essential to guarantee clear and predictable administrative procedures so as not to undermine the stability of our institutions. Regulatory unpredictability damages Montreal’s reputation as a top university destination in North America.”
Philip Authier of The Gazette contributed to this report.
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