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Federalized Two-step Migration in Quebec: An Ambiguous Process of Inclusion
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 21 May 2025
Abstract
In federal states, immigration regulation is frequently shared with subnational levels of governance. In Canada, provinces even have immigration selection powers. This is significant, as an increasing proportion of new permanent residents (1) are now selected by a province, and (2) previously held a temporary residence permit. However, the ways in which the interaction between the federalization of immigration and two-step migration impacts migrants’ experiences is still not well understood. This article contributes to the literature by providing deeper insights into the effects of the federalization of immigration on migrants. Based on the case of Quebec, it analyzes how the federalization of two-step migration affects migrants’ transitions from temporary to permanent status, whereby immigrants become “included.” The article contends that rather than functioning as an administrative process of linear inclusion, the federalization of two-step migration produces an ambiguous process of inclusion which reflects contradictory federal-provincial political agendas and tensions.
Résumé
Dans les États fédéraux, la réglementation de l'immigration est souvent partagée avec des niveaux de gouvernance infranationaux. Au Canada, les provinces ont même des pouvoirs de sélection en matière d'immigration. Cela est important, car une proportion croissante de nouveaux résidents permanents sont désormais (1) sélectionnés par une province et (2) détenaient auparavant un permis de séjour temporaire. Cependant, la manière dont l'interaction entre la fédéralisation de l'immigration et la migration en deux étapes a un impact sur les expériences des migrants n'est pas encore bien comprise. Le présent article contribue à la littérature en apportant un éclairage plus approfondi sur les effets de la fédéralisation de l'immigration sur les migrants. En se basant sur le cas du Québec, il analyse comment la fédéralisation de la migration en deux étapes affecte les transitions des migrants d'un statut temporaire à un statut permanent, par lequel les immigrants deviennent « inclus ». L'article soutient qu'au lieu de fonctionner comme un processus administratif d'inclusion linéaire, la fédéralisation de la migration en deux étapes produit un processus d'inclusion ambigu qui reflète des plans et des tensions politiques fédérales-provinciales contradictoires.
Keywords
Information
- Type
- Research Article/Étude originale
- Information
- Canadian Journal of Political Science/Revue canadienne de science politique , Volume 58 , Issue 1 , March 2025 , pp. 171 - 195
- Copyright
- Copyright © The Author(s), 2025. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of the Canadian Political Science Association (l’Association canadienne de science politique) and/et la Société québécoise de science politique
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