Labour Shortages: Quebec Government

Montreal Gazette Dept: There is much debate about just what immigrant integration entails. For some, the responsibility lies mainly with newcomers. They must not only learn the language of the receiving society but also endorse its laws, values and norms. They must fit in. In western Europe for example, France and the Netherlands , there have been sharp policy changes in recent years that point more toward assimilation than integration, according to Montreal Gazette. The Quebec government's interculturalism policy, as reflected in the 1990 publication Au Qu bec pour b tir ensemble, addresses not only immigrants but also the situation of cultural communities and thus includes immigrants' descendants . The document underlines that immigrants are expected to make the necessary efforts to learn French and to develop a sense of commitment to Quebec's development. It also states that Quebec society should recognize not only the contribution of cultural communities but the right within the same limits as all Quebecers to live according to their own values and over the past decade or so, immigrant integration has become an important issue in Quebec, the rest of Canada and many other places. In 2010, Quebec welcomed a record number of immigrants, and the level for Canada as a whole was the highest since 1971. As our population continues to age and labour shortages in certain sectors persist, immigration levels will probably remain quite high. Along with the growing diversity of the flows, this means that immigrant integration will, if anything, become a more pressing concern. Another perspective does not put all the weight on the shoulders of immigrants. One example is the "Common Basic Principles for Immigrant Integration Policy in the European Union," adopted unanimously by the European Council representing all member states in 2004. The first of the principles states that "integration is a dynamic, long-term and continuous two-way process of mutual accommodation, not a static outcome." As reported in the news.
@t quebec society, immigration levels