Trump’s victory could lead to an influx of migrants and a “negative” impact on Quebec’s economy, according to Legault
Quebec will closely monitor the potential impacts of a new Donald Trump the presidency will focus on immigration and the economy, the premier of the province declared Wednesday.
François Legault spoke about the results of Trump wins the presidential election in the United States in a political comeback that saw him defeat Kamala Harris.
This will be Trump’s second non-consecutive term at the head of American leadership and, therefore, Legault says he will set up a “working group” composed of several ministers to defend Quebec’s interests.
“Americans voted yesterday and Mr. Trump won,” Legault told the provincial legislature. “And we must respect this result.”
But Legault was quick to raise concerns about Trump’s victory, warning of a possible influx of asylum seekers at the border and higher tariffs on Quebec exports.
When it comes to immigration, Legault says the province has “done its part” and simply cannot welcome more newcomers. Trump has promised to deport millions of undocumented immigrants from the United States as one of his top priorities.
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“We should not see a massive influx of immigrants via the United States, because that could really unbalance the labor market,” he said. “And already, our reception capacity, our integration capacity is exceeded.”
The Prime Minister of Quebec is particularly concerned about the increase in the number of asylum seekers at land borders and at airports. Legault says his government plans to further secure its own land borders with the United States, if necessary.
“First of all, what I want to do is make sure that Mr. (Justin) Trudeau and the federal government take this seriously. I want monitoring every week on the number of immigrants we receive in Quebec,” said Legault.
Donald Trump waves as he walks with former first lady Melania Trump during an election night event at the Palm Beach Convention Center, Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2024, in West Palm Beach, Florida.
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These comments come as the Legault government has implemented stricter immigration policies in recent months. Last weekQuebec has suspended two major programs that constitute pathways to citizenship, saying it wants to “better regulate” newcomers to the province.
Legault’s other big concern is the economy. He highlighted the possibility of higher tariffs under Trump for Quebec exports, particularly in the aeronautical sector, wood products, aluminum and food products.
“Unfortunately, we must expect Mr. Trump and his team to take actions that could be negative for the Canadian economy and that of Quebec,” Legault said.
“I think we need to tell each other the truth. There are jobs at stake. We will therefore have to be very strategic, especially in key sectors, where Quebec exports a lot to the United States.”
Legault’s comments come as other Canadian politicians, including Ontario Premier Doug Ford and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau congratulated Trump in messages on X.
— with files from Gabby Rodrigues of Global and The Canadian Press
© 2024 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
