The election of Donald Trump as the 47th President of the United States could trigger border turbulencewarned the Premier of Quebec on Wednesday François Legault. This announcement comes in a context where increased migration to Quebec is feared.
“We shouldn’t see […] a massive influx of immigrants who come via the United States,” Mr. Legault declared the day after the election. He stressed that Quebec’s reception and integration capacity was already largely exceeded, a situation that could be exacerbated by Trump’s decisions to deport up to 20 million illegal immigrants.
Increased vigilance at the borders
The Prime Minister warned that the coming months and years could be marked by tense relations with the American administration. He insisted on the importance for Canadian authorities to carefully monitor irregular border crossings. Mr. Legault said the problem did not lie in the immigrants themselves, but in the numbers, and that any new wave of migration could worsen the current situation.
The Minister of Public Security, François Bonnardel, clarified that the surveillance of irregular crossings would remain the responsibility of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), confirming having obtained assurance from his federal counterpart, Dominic LeBlanc, on the presence of sufficient resources in the event of a large influx.
A proactive strategy
To counter the repercussions of the Trump administration’s economic and migration policies, François Legault announced the creation of a “Quebec–United States” ministerial working group, aimed at quickly developing appropriate strategies. “Our goal is to react very quickly. So, give yourself a strategy. We are already working on it,” he said.
At the same time, Legault plans to visit the United States during the first half of 2025 and wants Canada to appoint a high-level special envoy to facilitate the transition and discussions with the new American government.
Immigration Minister Jean-François Roberge also said he was evaluating options to strengthen border protection and avoid uncontrolled mass movements from the United States.
The opposition and its concerns
The leader of the Parti Québécois, Paul St-Pierre Plamondon, warned of the risks of mass exoduses and raised the idea that only the independence of Quebec would allow better control of customs in the face of a potential influx of new applicants asylum. According to him, Canadian borders remain “porous”.
Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois, co-spokesperson for Québec solidaire, expressed concern about Trump’s victory, sending messages of sympathy to the most vulnerable people, including women and immigrants. “Raising a family in a world [comme ça]it’s worrying,” he said.
While Quebec anticipates significant repercussions following the return of Donald Trump to the presidency, the Legault government and the opposition are preparing for major challenges, both economically and migratory. This vigilance and the measures that will be taken in the months to come could be decisive for the future of Quebec–United States relations and the management of the province’s borders.
Source: Le Devoir
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