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Quebec employment minister wants to recruit asylum seekers to work in health care

MONTREAL — The Quebec government is launching a pilot project to recruit about 1,500 asylum seekers over the next three years to fill labour shortages in the health-care system.
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Quebec's employment minister says around 1,500 asylum seekers will be given jobs in the province's health-care system over the next three years. Quebec Minister of Employment Kateri Champagne Jourdain responds to the Opposition, at the legislature in Quebec City, Friday, Dec. 2, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jacques Boissinot

MONTREAL — The Quebec government is launching a pilot project to recruit about 1,500 asylum seekers over the next three years to fill labour shortages in the health-care system.

Employment Minister Kateri Champagne Jourdain made the announcement Monday in Montreal. 

In a news release, Champagne Jourdain said many would-be refugees have work permits and want to contribute to Quebec society. The government, she added, will work with two community organizations — one in Montreal and the other in Quebec City — to place people in the health system.

The province is seeking people to fill positions such as patient-care aides, kitchen and maintenance staff, and administrators. These in-demand jobs require few qualifications and help people rapidly integrate into the employment market.

Regions included in the pilot project are the Montreal area, Quebec City, and Chaudière-Appalaches, located south of the provincial capital.

To be eligible, candidates must hold a valid work permit and have an intermediate level of French.

Champagne Jourdain's office said a similar program, connecting asylum seekers with jobs in the tourism sector, has received interest from 1,098 would-be refugees and 120 employers since it was announced last May. 

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 4, 2023.

The Canadian Press