Quebec's auditor general delivered a severe criticism of Quebec's immigration policy Wednesday, suggesting both the province's society and immigrants who choose to come here are not being well served.
Renaud Lachance said with 42 per cent of immigrants in 2006 unable to find a job in their field and working in jobs for which they were overqualified, there is little effort made to match immigrants to the labour market needs of the province,
Another statistic pointed to an unemployment rate 6 per cent higher for immigrants than native Quebecers.
"If you're looking for qualified workers you have to analyze the needs of the workplace and what the unemployment rate is of these people," he said.
Immigration Minister Yolande James said she will change the selection grid to downplay such criteria as adaptability, but said language would remain a top priority.
"Making sure we have candidates that respond to our labour needs is important, but the question of language is also one that is important," said James.
The Parti Quebecois argued nearly half the immigration decisions are made on paper rather than through an in-person interview, and that perhaps more foreign countries should be advised of Quebec's labour needs.
"The government signed an agreement with France… we should sign those kind of agreements with Algeria, Tunisia, Morocco, where many of those new immigrants come from," said PQ MNA Louise Beaudoin.
