Find below, in French and English, a letter from the ICC's President Soudeh Ghasemi to the Government of Quebec opposing their proposed changes to Quebec's PEQ (Programme de l’expérience québécoise/ Québec Experience Program) immigration program. The proposed changes to the program will not only harm the lives of countless international students and workers, but also harm Quebec's ability to gain access to much needed skills that will be required in the post-pandemic recovery.

Read below:

Adressé aux honorables premier ministre du Québec, M. Legault, et M. Jolin-Barrette

Je vous écris en tant que présidente du Congrès irano-canadien, une organisation à but non lucratif, non partisane et non religieuse défendant les intérêts de la communauté irano-canadienne.

Nous voulons vous exprimer notre vive inquiétude face aux récentes réformes proposées par votre gouvernement sur le (PEQ), un programme d'immigration qui offre aux étudiants internationaux et aux travailleurs étrangers temporaires déjà au Québec, une voie vers la résidence permanente au Canada. 

Nous voulons exprimer notre opposition aux réformes annoncées du PEQ qui ont été proposées par votre ministre de l'Immigration, de la Francisation et de l'Intégration, M. Simon Jolin-Barrette, pour les raisons suivantes.

Nous croyons qu'en imposant les critères d'admissibilité obligatoires pour postuler au PEQ à 12 mois d'expérience de travail à temps plein et en limitant les professions admissibles, votre gouvernement met en place des obstacles inutiles pour acquérir le statut de résident permanent au Québec. Cela affaiblit non seulement l'économie du Québec, mais discrimine également particulièrement les employés à temps partiel et ceux qui tentent de contribuer et de s'intégrer à la société québécoise.

Nous croyons qu'en instaurant ces réformes, qui n'incluent aucune forme de protection pour les étudiants et les travailleurs internationaux déjà au Québec, le gouvernement du Québec décourage de nombreux étudiants et travailleurs qui ont déménagé dans la province en supposant l'accessibilité actuelle du PEQ, et rend la vie de beaucoup de ces résidents extrêmement précaire, surtout au milieu d'une urgence de santé publique et économique. Compte tenu des circonstances actuelles, on peut se demander comment rendre la résidence du Québec peu attrayante pour les étudiants et les travailleurs internationaux pourrait être justifiée, économiquement ou autrement.

D'un point de vue humanitaire, il est également évident que ces réformes indiquent un mépris total pour la vie et les moyens de subsistance des nombreux étudiants internationaux qui paient des frais de scolarité extrêmement élevés et de tous les travailleurs étrangers temporaires, en particulier ceux qui travaillent sous les niveaux professionnels C et D dont le travail est directement lié à la stabilité économique du Québec.

Bref, nous croyons que les réformes proposées exercent une pression indue sur les travailleurs et les étudiants internationaux, tout en décourageant l'immigration au Québec faute d'un avenir productif dans la province.

Ainsi, nous aimerions que vous mettiez un terme complet à ces réformes et instauriez des réformes facilitatrices, plutôt que le contraire, à l'obtention de la résidence au Québec par les étudiants et les travailleurs internationaux.

Soudeh Ghasemi,

Présidente

Congrès Irano-Canadien

****ENGLISH TEXT ****

Addressed to the Hon. Premier of Quebec Mr. Legault, and Mr. Jolin-Barrette

I am writing you this email as the President of the Iranian Canadian Congress, a non-profit, non-partisan, and non-religious organization advocating for the interests of the Iranian-Canadian community.

This letter expresses our concerns about the recent reforms proposed by your government onto the (PEQ), an immigration program that offers international students and temporary foreign workers already in Quebec a pathway to Canadian permanent residency. 

We want to express our opposition to the announced reforms to the PEQ which has been proposed by your Immigration, Francisation and Integration minister, Mr. Simon Jolin-Barrette, for the following reasons. 

We believe, by enforcing the mandatory criteria of eligibility for applying to PFQ to 12 months of full-time work experience, and by limiting the eligible occupations, your government puts forward unnecessary barriers for acquiring permanent residency status in Quebec. This not only weakens Quebec’s economy, but also discriminates especially against part-time employees and those who are attempting to contribute and integrate into Quebec society.

We believe that by instituting these reforms, which fail to include any kind of protection for international students and workers already in Quebec, the Quebec government discourages many students and workers whom moved to the province under the assumption of the present accessibility of the PEQ, and makes the lives of many of its residents extremely unstable, especially now that we are in the midst of a public health and economic emergency. Given the present circumstances, one wonders how making Quebec-residency unattractive for international students and workers could possibly be justified, economically or otherwise.

From a humanitarian standpoint, it is also evident that these reforms indicate total disregard for the lives and livelihoods of the many international students who are paying extremely high tuition fees, and all temporary foreign workers, especially those who are working under the occupational levels C and D whose labour is directly related to Quebec’s economic stability. 

In short, we believe that the proposed reforms exact more undue pressure on international workers and students, while discouraging immigration to Quebec for want of a productive future in the province.

Thus, we would like you to stop these reforms entirely and institute reforms making it easier, rather than harder, for international students and international workers to obtain Quebec residency.

Soudeh Ghasemi

President

Iranian Canadian Congress

The Iranian Canadian Congress (ICC) is proud to join hundreds of academics, experts, and civil society activists who signed this open letter that calls for an end to US sanctions on Iran during this global pandemic. Find below the letter. You may also find it at this link.

This week, confirmed infections of the rapidly spreading COVID-19 surpassed 586,000 worldwide and global deaths rose past 26,800 as the outbreak continues to spread across the Middle East, Europe, and North America. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), worldwide deaths have tripled while global cases have more than doubled in the past week.

Iran is among the hardest-hit countries by the pandemic, with over 2,300 deaths and 32,000 cases of infections from the COVID-19. It is also the only country that is dealing with this level of cases while living under severe economic sanctions.

In 2018, the Trump administration imposed unilateral sanctions on Iran and implemented a policy of maximum pressure after withdrawing from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action in violation of the United Nations Security Council Resolution 2231.

While on paper the US administration has provided humanitarian exemptions in its sanctions regime, reports from Iranian civil society, international aid organizations, and human rights groups including Human Rights Watch, show a different reality on the ground as US sanctions, including banking restrictions, have severely impacted Iranians’ access to medical equipment and essential medicine.

In recent weeks, the United Kingdom, Russia, China, and Pakistan have asked the U.S to ease sanctions on Iran during this unprecedented global pandemic. Meanwhile, the Trump administration has ignored these requests and instead have imposed even more sanctions on the country.

We believe that it is not only unjust to leave Iranian people alone in this global crisis, but is indeed a violation of Iranians’ inalienable rights to health and access to medical care. Furthermore, we believe that this pandemic is a shared global threat and it could only be defeated when all countries and people come together and support one another.

Therefore, we, the undersigned, call on all members of the United Nations Security Council to act in compliance with international law and UNSC resolution 2231 and to support Iranian people in their fight against this global pandemic.

We also urge the US lawmakers to pressure the Trump administration to immediately lift all sanctions that are impeding Iran’s response to the outbreak, including financial sanctions.

Find below an email that the ICC 's President Soudeh Ghasemi sent to Canadian Government Ministers asking Canada to help Iran during the COVID19 crisis:

Kind Attention:

The Honourable Karina Gould, Minister of International Development

MP Rob Oliphant, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs

Ms. Janet Johnson, Vice President Philanthropy Canadian Red Cross 

I am contacting you on behalf of the Iranian Canadian Congress (ICC), a non-profit, non-partisan, and non-religious organization, established in 2007, to advance the interests of the Iranian-Canadian community.

In recent weeks Iran has been severely impacted by the Coronavirus outbreak. The country has the third greatest number of deaths from the COVID-19 after China and Italy. According to the latest official statistics, Iran has confirmed 429 deaths and more than 10,000 cases of infections from this global epidemic. Iran has also been the main source of dozens of cases in countries including Canada, the United States, and the United Kingdom. The concerning part is that some studies suggest that there are still many more unidentified cases in the country and the situation is expected to become even worse in the upcoming days. 

Iran has published a list of medical items and equipment it urgently needs which you can find attached to this email. Iran has communicated its list of requirements with the International Federation of Red Cross as well asking the international community for support in combating this COVID-19 outbreak in the country. Last week, some European countries along with the World Health Organization (WHO) have reportedly provided both technical and financial support to Iran.

Yesterday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced his $1B COVID-19 package that included “ an additional $50 million to help vulnerable countries prepared for and respond to the virus, supporting efforts of the WHO and other partners.” We certainly believe that Iran is vulnerable and should meet the requirements to receive help and support from Canada. We urge the Canadian government to help Iran in its fight with this global pandemic.   

Last year, the ICC had a successful experience with the Canadian Red Cross (CRC) in the case of severe flooding in Iran. The federal government also provided aid through the Red Cross. Indeed, that is why we are reaching out again to explore ways in which we could help our government and Canadian Red Cross to, once again, provide support for the Iranian people in this time of emergency. Last time, the Government of Canada generously provided $250,000 to Iran through the International Federation of Red Cross and the CRC also launched a fundraising appeal to help flood victims in Iran. Based on the final report from the CRC, $150,000 was raised through this channel and was sent to Iran as part of the emergency assistance fund. 

We strongly believe there is an urgent need to take similar actions now and the ICC is fully prepared to help the government and the Canadian Red Cross in any way possible, especially when it comes to fundraising within the Iranian-Canadian community in Canada.

Sincerely,

Soudeh Ghasemi

President

Iranian Canadian Congress

Below is a letter sent by the Vice President of the Iranian Canadian Congress to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, and relevant Ministers, Critics and Shadow Ministers demanding help for Iranian Canadians stranded in coronavirus-stricken Iran

I am writing this letter to you as Vice-President of the Iranian Canadian Congress (ICC), a non-profit, non-partisan, and non-religious organization dedicated to defending the interests of the Iranian-Canadian community, a population estimated at 300,000 across Canada.

As you are aware, the coronavirus epidemic is affecting numerous countries across the world and many countries are extracting their citizens from the countries that are most affected. Iran is the latest of these affected countries, with many neighbouring countries are shutting off travel and shutting their borders. Further, many airlines have stopped flying in and out of the country due to the outbreak in Iran.

Over the weekend, the ICC put out a call to the Iranian-Canadian community to contact us if they or their family is in Iran and unable to leave the country. 

The response was unexpected and massive, with dozens of Canadian citizens and residents contacting the ICC within the past 48 hours telling us that they are effectively stranded in Iran and are unable to leave by any means. 

As such, we ask that you immediately arrange for Canadians in Iran to leave the country and return directly to Canada, as Canada has done with Canadians stranded in like manner in China.

We look forward to receiving a response from your offices on this urgent matter.

Sincerely,

Pouyan Tabasinejad

Vice President 

Iranian Canadian Congress

Today marks the 40th day since the tragedy of Flight 752, when Iranian forces shot down a passenger airplane and killed all onboard, the vast majority of whom were from the Iranian-Canadian community. In Iranian culture, the milestone of 40 days is extremely important, and the Iranian Canadian Congress (ICC) at this moment consoles the rest of the Iranian-Canadian community in this difficult time.

We also at this moment recommit ourselves to transparency, accountability and justice for the victims of Flight 752 and their families. We once again condemn not only the reckless shooting of the plane itself, but also the Iranian government providing false information to the public in the three days after the tragedy.