Several women who came to Quebec as part of a federal live-in caregiver program spoke out against a bill that they said could jeopardize their ability to stay in the province on Sunday.
The women, who spoke to media at a press conference organized by the Centre for Immigrant Workers, said Bill 9 has slowed or suspended their applications for permanent residence, despite coming to Canada under a federal program.
“The stress and anxiety this is causing us is unjust after having fulfilled all our obligations in becoming new immigrants to Quebec,” said Jennifer Rentiquiano. “Our time is running and we would very much like assurance from (Immigration Minister) Simon Jolin-Barrette himself that this bill will not affect the CSQ applications of all the LCP workers and the dependents on our applications.”
According to the CIW more than 80 women who came to Quebec under the Live-In Caregiver Program have come forward to say they fear for their future because of the bill.
“Bill 9 is a discriminatory bill forced on hardworking people like us who followed all the rules and conditions required to become permanent legal residents,” said Rentiquiano. “These individuals have worked hard and put their lives in limbo to build a better future for themselves and their families.”
Since being introduced Bill 9 has faced opposition from immigration lawyers and advocates. The bill would throw out a backlog of 18,000 applications for permanent residency, with Jolin-Barrette saying the step is necessary to revamp the immigration process to better address Quebec’s labour needs.
The bill’s opponents said the measure isn’t fair to those who have spent years navigating bureaucracy and making sure they meet all the criteria for permanent residency.
In February a judge approved an injunction that forced the Quebec government to continue processing applications until Bill 9 is passed.
