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QUEBEC — The Legault government anticipates gradually increasing the number of immigrants to Quebec to 52,000 a year in 2022.

After campaigning in favour of a cut in immigration — François Legault said Quebec should welcome fewer immigrants, but integrate them better — the Coalition Avenir Québec government has shifted gears.

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The target in a new consultation document tabled by the Ministry of Immigration, Diversity and Inclusiveness in the National Assembly on Friday is between 49,500 and 52,500 by 2022. That would be an increase by about 3,000 to 4,000 a year from their objective of 40,000, a number the CAQ has lowered from 50,000 a year as it campaigned it would.

“We always said we were going to lower the number on a temporary basis,” Immigration, Diversity and Inclusiveness Minister Simon Jolin-Barrette told reporters after the document became public.

“We had to take a step back to repair the system. That is what we are trying to do with Bill 9, which we would like to see adopted before the end of the parliamentary session.”