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MONTREAL: The Quebec government on Wednesday announced it would relax its immigration rules to allow 3,000 Haitians to make a new home in Canada's French-speaking province, following last month's devastating quake.
Quebec Immigration Minister Yolande James told a press conference the exception would permit family members of Canadians who would not normally be considered for entry, "who were seriously and personally affected by the earthquake".
From February 17 to December 31, Quebecers of Haitian origin with Canadian citizenship or permanent resident status may sponsor "brothers, sisters and adult children older than 22 years," as well as "their spouse and their dependents," she said.
Normally, Canada's immigration act allows only the dependents, spouse, parents and grandparents, and orphans with family ties into Canada.
Quebec, however, has "discretionary powers" that it has opted to use "exceptionally for humanitarian reasons," James said.
More than 100,000 Canadians are of Haitian origin, and more than 90 per cent of them live in Quebec, mostly in Montreal.
- AFP/sc
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