Nurses recruited from West Africa say Quebec training program has left them destitute

A Montreal civil rights organization has raised concerns about a Quebec program aimed at recruiting and training nurses from overseas, saying it has left some participants in desperate situations, with some even relying on food banks for survival.

Several nurses recruited from West Africa claim they have been left in dire straits after being expelled from the program for failing a part of their training. As a result, they have lost access to their weekly stipends and part-time jobs as orderlies.

One nurse, who spoke anonymously on Thursday out of fear of professional repercussions, shared his experience with reporters. After working for 10 years in his home country, he left his job to bring his family to Quebec's Montérégie region. However, after failing a portion of the training program, he now finds himself in a more precarious position than ever.

"I can’t even meet my children’s needs," he said at a Montreal news conference. "It’s hard because I chose to participate in this project, and I had faith in this project, and now I’m in a desperate situation."

In 2022, the Quebec government launched a $65-million initiative to recruit and train 1,000 nurses from francophone countries to address acute nursing shortages in certain regions of the province. The program offers candidates government-funded training at junior colleges in designated regions. Participants receive a $500 weekly stipend, as well as financial assistance for daycare and transportation, and they can work part-time as orderlies.

However, Fo Niemi, the executive director of the Center for Research-Action on Race Relations, reports that at least 50 recruits have encountered bureaucratic obstacles or outright discrimination since arriving in Quebec. If a participant fails a course, they are expelled from the program and lose all financial support and their part-time employment.

"They are in limbo, many of them have to rely on food banks to survive, and many of them are very, very desperate," Niemi said. He is calling on the Quebec human rights commission and the provincial government to investigate the program.

Niemi explained that expelled candidates can theoretically re-enroll, but they are restricted to the region where they began their training. If the local junior colleges do not offer the necessary courses before their study permits expire, they face the risk of deportation. In the meantime, they are not permitted to seek employment elsewhere.

"They can’t go to another [junior college] to continue the training," he said. "They can’t even go to McDonald’s to flip burgers."

Niemi also pointed out that the "excessively restrictive conditions" of the program are not fully explained to recruits before they leave their home countries, often bringing their families with them.

A second nurse at Thursday’s news conference, who has five years of experience in Côte d'Ivoire, emphasized that it takes time to adapt to Quebec’s healthcare system. "There are many things here in Quebec that we don’t know," he said. "Then when you make any mistake, you are fired."

This nurse was expelled from the program in Quebec’s Abitibi–Témiscamingue region, but along with 10 other candidates who failed a part of the program, he has re-enrolled this fall. However, Niemi noted that the course currently lacks a teacher.

Niemi also reported that some recruits have experienced discrimination during their training, including being accused of having bad body odor. In some cases, supervisors have offered deodorant in a manner intended "to humiliate them publicly," he said.

The Quebec Immigration Department was not immediately available for comment on Thursday.