MONTREAL — The Quebec government is being sued over its decision to cancel a backlog of more than 18,000 immigration applications as it overhauls its system for selecting newcomers.
An association representing Quebec immigration lawyers filed an injunction request today seeking a halt to the policy. It wants the Immigration Department to be ordered to resume processing the applications.
The request, made in the name of a Korean woman, Seeun Park, states that potential immigrants whose applications have been scrapped feel humiliated and betrayed.
People whose applications were already being processed were informed they would have to start over under a new system.
Quebec Immigration Minister Simon Jolin-Barrette tabled Bill 9 on Feb. 7, setting out a legal framework that would allow the province to be more selective with immigrants.
Jolin-Barrette said the new approach would better match applicants to the needs of the labour market and ensure immigrants speak French and respect Quebec values.
