Quebec has seen a significant rise in its temporary immigrant population over the past year, sparking increased tensions between provincial and federal authorities. According to recent data from Statistics Canada released on Wednesday, Quebec’s non-permanent resident count reached 597,140 in the second quarter of 2024, up from 421,149 a year earlier and 295,147 in 2022. This marks a consistent upward trend since 2021, with non-permanent residents now constituting 6.6% of Quebec’s population, up from 3.3% three years ago.
In Ontario, the number of non-permanent residents rose from 880,511 in Q2 2023 to 1,250,460 by the same period in 2024. Nationally, Canada’s temporary immigrant population grew from 1,965,318 in Q2 2023 to 2,793,594 in Q2 2024, coinciding with the country’s total population surpassing 41 million and Quebec’s surpassing 9 million.
Statistics Canada highlighted that most of this growth occurred before the federal government announced plans to cap permits issued to non-permanent residents in 2024.
Of the non-permanent residents in Quebec in Q2 2024, 32% were asylum claimants, 43% held work permits, 12% were on study permits, and 9% held both work and study permits.
These figures are expected to reignite debates between the federal government and Quebec Premier François Legault’s administration, which has been advocating for a reduction in temporary immigration numbers due to perceived pressures on housing and public services.
“This ongoing trend of recent months continues to be concerning,” remarked Quebec’s Minister of Immigration, Christine Fréchette, on Wednesday. “The rapid increase in non-permanent residents poses significant challenges, placing excessive strain on housing and public services.”