Quebec to discuss French-language law, immigration at Francophonie Summit

Students rush to prove English CEGEP eligibility Students applying to the English CEGEP system in Quebec have to prove they are eligible to get a spot because of Bill 96.

Premier Francois Legault says the foreign media have "misinterpreted" Bill 96 and the Coalition Avenir Québec's immigration policies. Legault promises to "explain" them at the Francophonie Summit.

Legault landed Friday in Djerba, Tunisia, where the 18th Francophonie Summit is being held. He met with a Tunisian electric cable company and then with the minister-president of Wallonia-Brussels.

In a news scrum, Legault said that one of his main challenges would be to explain Quebec's choices in terms of language and immigration, in the context of the "decline we are experiencing in Montreal."

According to Legault, Quebec has had bad press internationally.

"We have seen some media outside Quebec perhaps misinterpret our Bill 96 and the objectives we have set in terms of the number of immigrants," he said. "We talked about the number of places we wanted to limit in English-language CEGEPs, the choice of immigrants. I think it's important (...) to say that Quebec (...) will always be a welcoming people."

He said he wanted to remind people at various meetings on the sidelines of the summit that Quebec receives more immigrants annually, "all things considered," than France or the United States.

"I want to take the opportunity to talk about this with (...) the heads of state, because if there are any who are well placed to understand the challenge we have in Quebec to protect the French language, it is the French-speaking states," he said.

Legault also said he was open to talking about francophone immigration.

MEETING THE TUNISIAN PRESIDENT

The Quebec premier announced Friday that he would meet with Tunisian President Kaïs Saïed and talk to him about the "democratic values" dear to Quebec.

The day before, International Relations Minister Martine Biron had instead made it known that not only would Quebec not condemn the Saïed regime, but that it would not promote awareness it either.

"We're on the same message. What we're saying is that obviously, we're concerned, we're not going to interfere, but we're going to mention that democracy and human rights are important to us," he said.

On Friday, Legault also met privately with the secretary general of La Francophonie, Louise Mushikiwabo of Rwanda, who is up for reappointment.

He said he was satisfied with the work of the secretary-general, who has been criticized for her inaction on several issues, including education.

"When you look at what she has done, there was some cleaning up to do," said Legault. "She has improved the processes."

Quebec is a full member of the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie (OIF), like France, for example, which gives it an exceptional platform.

SPECIAL MEETING ON HAITI

Legault said Friday that a "special meeting" would be held to discuss the crisis in Haiti.

The meeting will take place during the Francophonie Summit, in the presence of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

It would be open to other dignitaries who are following the situation in Haiti and want to contribute to finding solutions, Legault said.

"It's really worrying," he told a press scrum upon his arrival in Djerba. "It is certain that the solutions are not obvious, we must do it with the Haitians. It's worrying what we see in Haiti."

For weeks, the Caribbean country has been plunged into social and political chaos. Added to this is a cholera epidemic, which has so far claimed nearly 200 lives.

Opposition parties in the Quebec National Assembly had urged Legault to put the crisis in Haiti on the agenda at the Francophonie Summit.

They argued that Quebec had a special bond with Haiti, and that in Montreal alone, over 130,000 people are of Haitian origin.

"It's terrible what's happening; children are dying," said Liberal international relations and Francophonie critic Michelle Setlakwe in an interview. "Quebec must act as a leader, at the next summit, on the issue of Haiti."

In 2010, at the Montreux summit in Switzerland, Liberal premier Jean Charest led a resolution to recognize Haiti as a priority country for Francophone solidarity.

Armed gangs are terrorizing vulnerable populations in Haiti and precipitating a humanitarian crisis that includes the resurgence of cholera on the island.

They are committing unspeakable acts of violence, including widespread sexual violence, and preventing the delivery of essential services, according to Canada's Foreign Affairs Department.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on Nov. 18, 2022.