Ombudsman insists Jolin-Barrette owes potential immigrants an apology

QUEBEC — The province’s ombudsman is calling on the minister of immigration to apologize, in writing, to thousands of potential immigrants who have seen their applications torn asunder by his reforms.

In a blistering brief presented to the committee studying Bill 9, Marie Rinfret says her office has been flooded with complaints — 60 in two weeks — over the government’s plan to shred 18,000 application files. The plan will send people to the back of the line in a new process despite years of waiting.

A blunt-talking Rinfret says the government has failed to grasp the idea that these files are more than pieces of paper. They are “above all, life projects,” people’s dreams of moving to a welcoming new home and making a fresh start.

The government’s Band-Aid response — saying it will refund their application fees as a result of its new policy — has been nothing more than a cold “administrative solution to a human problem.”

“For me, we are clearly dealing with a damage control operation,” Rinfret says in a 10-page brief she presented Wednesday at the legislature committee studying the reform package, Bill 9.

“Short of doing better, the damage control should at least consist of displaying some form of empathy and fairness to limit the obviously grave damages (inflicted).”

Noting she has been warning the government for years about the dangers of a backlog, Rinfret said the 18,000 files today represent the lives of 45,000 people, including 6,000 already living in Quebec.

As have others before her, Rinfret calls on the government to drop plans to shred the files of the 6,000 people already living in Quebec and give those candidates priority treatment.

As for the other 14,300 files from another 39,000 people not living here, Rinfret says the government should not only refund their fees, it should add interest the amount.

It should also refund all the money they spent on language tests to improve their chances of getting in to Quebec, she says.

And each candidate should get a personal signed, written letter of apology from the minister explaining the situation, Rinfret insists.

The letter should state the government had more applications than their target immigration levels allowed and that Quebec “regrets” having to cancel their applications.

It should then explain, again in writing, to candidates what their options are and offer to accompany them moving forward. Finally, the government should return all paper documents filed by the applicant, she says.

When Rinfret appeared before the committee later Wednesday to present her brief, Rinfret looked directly at Simon Jolin-Barrette, the minister of Immigration, Diversity and Inclusiveness, who at times appeared uncomfortable.

When Jolin-Barrette responded saying the government tried to communicate and sent two emails to candidates, Rinfret said she had seen those messages, which amounted to “anonymous notes completely lacking any empathy” that only infuriated candidates further.

“When people complain to us (at the ombudsman’s office) it is as a last resort,” Rinfret said. “They felt completely devastated by the situation.”

What they retained is that the government wants to “clean house” of the files in a hurry and regardless of the costs, she said.

Jolin-Barrette didn’t respond directly to Rinfret’s call for him to apologize.

“I am sensitive to the situation you are describing,” Jolin-Barrette said.

Rinfret’s missle, launched late in the day, is the latest instalment of a drama sparked by the Coalition Avenir Québec government’s botched attempt to explain its immigration reforms.

Under the current first-come, first-served system, applicants can languish for years in government file cabinets. As many as 50 per cent of requests are rejected.

The government wants to streamline the system, telling immigrants to make use of a new government portal, Arrima, which is supposed to match workers with jobs.

But the government continues to get a rough ride over its proposal.

On Monday, a Superior Court judge slapped an injunction on Article 20 of the bill, preventing Quebec from proceeding with the shredding. Jolin-Barrette has reluctantly said he will obey the order and not shred any files until after the bill is adopted in June.

Earlier Wednesday, the City of Montreal raised multiple red flags over the reforms, saying reducing the total number of new arrivals — Quebec want to cut the total from 50,000 a year to 40,000 — and forcing more of them into the regions will hurt the city.

With an estimated 73,000 vacant jobs in Montreal, two members of Montreal’s executive committee warned that the government’s vision ignores the reality of life in Montreal, where 70 per cent of immigrants choose to live.

“The number of vacancies keeps growing year to year,” said Robert Beaudry, the city’s executive committee member in charge of economic development. “Our needs are critical.”

pauthier@postmedia.com

Twitter.com/philipauthier

from Montreal Gazette https://montrealgazette.com/news/quebec/ombudsman-insists-jolin-barrette-owes-potential-immigrants-an-apology
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