‘Immigration decisions have a direct impact on our local economy,’ says Mayor Stéphane Boyer
Laval city council unanimously passed a resolution sponsored by Mayor Stéphane Boyer at the February 3 council meeting calling on the Quebec government to revise certain aspects of its immigration policy, which the mayor argues unfairly penalize Laval’s economy and its competitiveness.
With the resolution, the City of Laval was following the lead of elected officials in the City of Montreal as well as in Quebec City.
They are specifically requesting the implementation of a grandfather clause for immigrants already established in Quebec under the Quebec Experience Program (PEQ), in order to avoid significant human and economic consequences.
Laval’s resolution also calls on the government to recognize the city’s distinct economic reality and its capacity to welcome immigrants as a major industrial and technological hub, while asking the government to refrain from taking measures that penalize Laval businesses when there are shortages of highly skilled labour.
“Immigration decisions have a direct impact on our local economy,” Mayor Boyer said in a statement. “In Laval, poorly adapted, uniform measures risk hindering the attraction of talent and investment, while also undermining the predictability our employers need.”
“Behind these decisions are real people who have chosen to build their lives here and who contribute daily to the social and economic vitality of our city,” said Laval city councillor for Saint-Martin Aline Dib, who is responsible for intercultural relations. “We must return to a more humane approach that better reflects our regional reality while strengthening our integration efforts,” she added.
Here is the full text (translated from French) of the resolution asking for a revision of Quebec’s immigration policy passed on February 3 by Laval city council:
Notice of proposal: Economic immigration and the reality of Laval
• WHEREAS the City of Laval is a strategic economic hub of Greater Montreal, characterized by major industrial zones, a strong manufacturing and technology presence and integrated value chains on a metropolitan scale;
• WHEREAS Laval businesses face persistent needs for skilled and specialized labour;
• WHEREAS the Government of Quebec, in its deliberations on multi-year immigration planning in Quebec, recently issued guidelines aimed at reducing the number of non-permanent residents for the period 2026-2029;
• WHEREAS the freeze on temporary immigration and the salary criteria applicable to Laval businesses do not take into account our distinct economic reality or our differentiated capacity to welcome immigrants;
• WHEREAS these policies are currently having negative impacts on businesses, economic development and workforce planning in Laval and the greater metropolitan area;
• WHEREAS this approach also undermines predictability for Laval employers and risks hindering the attraction of strategic investments and talent specifically to Laval;
• WHEREAS the abolition of the Quebec Experience Program (PEQ), without consideration for those already in the region who contribute to its social and economic life, has deplorable human consequences.
IT IS PROPOSED BY Stéphane Boyer:
• THAT the City of Laval request the Government of Quebec: 1. to explicitly recognize Laval’s distinct economic reality and capacity to welcome newcomers in the application of immigration policies; 2. to ensure equitable treatment within Greater Montreal, without penalizing Laval businesses with poorly adapted, uniform measures.
• THAT the City of Laval supports maintaining programs that allow businesses access to skilled temporary foreign workers, as well as mechanisms that facilitate their transition to permanent residency;
• THAT the City of Laval requests that the government grant grandfathering rights to immigrants already established under the Quebec Experience Program (PEQ); • THAT the City of Laval forward this resolution to the Ministry of Immigration, Francisation and Integration, the Montreal Metropolitan Community and relevant economic partners.
