Obligatorisk samhällsorientering för nyanlända i Quebeck

Den franskspråkiga kanadensiska provinsen Quebeck har nyligen infört obligatoriska klasser i samhällsorientering för nyanlända invandrare. Förutom att informeras om Quebecks gemensamma värderingar ska den som invandrar skriva på ett kontrakt om att de accepterar dessa. De värderingar som nämns är: Speaking French is a necessity; Quebec is free and democratic; it's secular; it's pluralist; it's based on the rule of law; men and women are equal; and exercising one's rights must be done with respect for others. Totonta Star har som första tidning tagit del av undervisningen.

The 30 men and women, freshly arrived on Canadian soil, seemed to already understand the liberal nature of the place to which they had decided to immigrate.

One Algerian man even told Martin, with a wry grin, that he heard the hierarchy of rights in Quebec goes like this: children first, then women, then dogs ... then men.

So the question arises: What is the point of the exercise in which they're now forced to participate?

Artikelförfattaren ifrågasätter värdet av reformen, men den försvaras av den ansvariga ministern.

In an interview, Immigration and Cultural Communities Minister Yolande James, the first black cabinet minister in Quebec history, said she will "continue to defend the declaration."

She repeated the stance she took in announcing the policy, that immigrating to Quebec "is not a right, it's a privilege" and that just as Quebec chooses the people it will accept, so too does that person have a choice to make.

"The person who wants to join Quebec society should be well informed of Quebec values."