The Iranian Canadian Congress (ICC) calls on the Quebec government to halt their unjust plans under Bill 9 to purge nearly 20,000 immigration applications.

To:

Quebec Ministre de l’Immigration, de la Diversité et de l’Inclusion Simon Jolin-Barrette

CC:

Premier Ministre du Québec François Legault;

Minister of Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada Ahmed Hussen;

MP for Richmond Hill Majid Jowhari;

MP for Willowdale Ali Ehsassi;

Immigration Critic for the New Democratic Party Jenny Kwan

Dear Mr. Jolin-Barrette,

I am writing you on behalf of the Iranian Canadian Congress. The Iranian Canadian Congress (ICC) is a non-profit, non-religious, and non-partisan organization committed to safeguarding the interests of the Iranian-Canadian community in Canada, a population estimated at 300,000 across our country.

Over the past month, the ICC has been very concerned over the Quebec government’s plan to purge nearly 20,000 immigration applications. As you may know, many Iranian immigrants call Quebec home and we have received numerous communications from members of Quebec’s Iranian community whose applications will be purged by your government’s plans.

These individuals, like many immigrants to Canada, are highly educated, eager, and valuable members of society. To purge their applications, often after years of residency and integration into Quebec society, constitutes a grave injustice not only to these individuals but also to Quebec itself. Quebec, like all of Canada’s provinces and territories, is built on the contributions of immigrants, and to deny these individuals the opportunity to continue contributing to Quebec will harm the province’s social and economic development. Furthermore, the lives of these individuals will be harmed to such an extent by purging their applications that it undermines Canada and Quebec’s character as an open and accepting society.

We therefore call on your government to put a halt to these plans. We ask that you process these applications and ensure that immigrants are given the opportunity to continue to contribute to Quebec’s prosperity in the future.

Sincerely,

Saman Tabasinejad

Policy Chair

Iranian Canadian Congress (ICC)