French MP questions Quebec premier about reopening fast track immigration program

Quebec Premier Christine Fréchette responds to the opposition during question period at the Quebec National Assembly on Wednesday, May 13, 2026. (Jacques Boissinot/The Canadian Press)

While on a mission in Paris, Premier Christine Fréchette was questioned about the Programme de l’expérience québécoise (PEQ) by a French MP.

The question was asked during a meeting between the Quebec Premier and the President of the French National Assembly, Yaël Braun-Pivet.

“Each Member of Parliament spoke during the meeting with the President of the National Assembly this morning. One of the members raised this issue ... to find out my position regarding the PEQ,” the premier said in an interview with The Canadian Press on Tuesday in Paris.

The program, considered a fast track to permanent residency for immigrants, was halted by Minister Jean-François Roberge in November 2025, sparking an outcry across the province.

“I reiterated what I said during the leadership race and since my swearing-in, namely that we will reactivate the Programme de l’expérience québécoise in accordance with our immigration thresholds,” Fréchette said Tuesday.

• Québec Solidaire calls for fast-track immigration program to be reinstated before end of spring session

Quebec has set its thresholds at 45,000 new permanent residents per year. The premier assured that there had been no pressure from France to reopen the PEQ.

Fréchette declined to say when the program would reopen, stating simply that there would be a date “soon.”

“These are administrative processes that need to be set in motion differently. So, of course, it takes time. You can’t just announce something and expect it to be a reality the next morning,” she said.

It was the final day of the Quebec premier’s visit to Paris. Fréchette presented the Ordre national du Québec to Paul de Sinety, General Delegate for the French Language and the Languages of France, at the official Quebec residence in Paris.

She also met with the president of the Île-de-France region, Valérie Pécresse. They discussed the integration of artificial intelligence into the public sector, the role of women in politics, and hockey.

On Monday, Christine Fréchette met with French President Emmanuel Macron. Before their meeting, he said that Quebec could assist France in “many areas,” such as “research,” “AI,” and “strategy.”

She also held a meeting with her French counterpart, Sébastien Lecornu.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on May 19, 2026.

Thomas Laberge, The Canadian Press