Quebec minister signals possible cuts to social assistance for asylum seekers

Chantal Rouleau is sworn in as Minister responsible for Social Solidarity during a cabinet reshuffle at the Quebec National Assembly on Wednesday, Sept. 10, 2025. (Jacques Boissinot/The Canadian Press)

As the Legault government seeks to reduce temporary immigration, Social Solidarity Minister Chantal Rouleau is considering cutting social assistance benefits for asylum seekers.

“I am not closing the door,” the minister said Wednesday upon arriving at the National Assembly.

“We are reflecting and working on it,” she added.

In June, Immigration Minister Jean-François Roberge threatened to withdraw services for asylum seekers if Ottawa did not act to halve the number of temporary immigrants in the province.

“If Ottawa does not do the work, I cannot rule out that eventually we may have to review the service package. (…) The status quo is unsustainable for public services and public finances,” he said at the time.

Premier François Legault has repeatedly stressed that Quebec has exceeded its capacity to welcome newcomers and that temporary immigration is putting pressure on public services.

“Lack of humanity”

Liberal leader Pablo Rodriguez called the move a “lack of humanity.”

“The people who are here — if you reduce social assistance, how will they survive?” he asked at a news conference at the National Assembly on Wednesday.

Québec solidaire said “removing last-resort aid for the most vulnerable is not and will never be part of the DNA of Quebecers.”

“CAQ must rule out this option at all costs. Ottawa must take responsibility, including issuing work permits much faster. But for now, I can barely imagine the disastrous consequences, especially for the children affected, if this minimal aid is withdrawn,” Québec solidaire MP Étienne Grandmont said in a written statement.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on Sept. 17, 2024.