Non-binding Commons vote calls for feds to revise immigration quota

Interesting that the NDP didn’t vote with the Liberals:

A call from the Bloc Quebecois to revise current immigration quotas within 100 days was approved in a non-binding vote in the House of Commons, reported Blacklock’s Reporter.

MPs voted 173 -150 in favour of the Bloc’s motion, with only the Liberals standing against the idea.

“Canadians basically strongly disagree with the immigration policies of what is left of this government,” said Bloc Leader Yves-Francois Blanchet.

The motion asked that cabinet meet with premiers “to consult them on their respective integration capacities” and “table in the House within 100 days a plan for revising federal immigration targets in 2024 based on the integration capacity.”

Canada currently has an annual quota of 500,000 immigrants.

“This used to be a Quebec thing,” said Blanchet. “People used to say Quebeckers were against immigration because they were racists. Now people in Toronto are saying they are having problems managing the volume of immigrants.”

The quota is in addition to 227,000 annual permits for temporary foreign workers and 983,000 foreign students.

“We are so focused on numbers and so keen to open everything up that people who came here as asylum seekers are sleeping in the streets of Montreal without housing,” said Blanchet. “This is the most obvious example of the government’s heartless failure.”

Immigration Minister Marc Miller countered there’s no choice but to maintain current quotas.

“The main reason is we need newcomers as much as they need us,” he said. “Immigration is crucial to expand our labour force, to ensure our economy prospers and to guarantee the quality of the social services Canadians depend on. Faced with an aging population, we need qualified and talented newcomers to ensure our future economic prosperity.”

Source: Non-binding Commons vote calls for feds to revise immigration quota