Encountering the Other: Migration and Democracy
Interview with Dr. Mireille Paquet, Associate Professor of Political Science and the Concordia University Research Chair in the Politics of Immigration. Â
Interviewers: Carol Fiedler and Brian McDonough
As debates over immigration take center stage in democracies throughout the world, we will interview Mireille Paquet about the stakes of immigration policy in the Canadian and Quebec context. Â
How are Quebec and Canadian societies responding in the face of increasing demagogic rhetoric against immigrants and refugees, while at the same time recognizing the economic need for new citizens, on the one hand, and the humanitarian need for refugees to enter safe, democratic societies on the other? How can a democracy contend with the pressures of demagogic rhetoric against immigrants, while also respecting the sincere concerns of Canadian citizens over resources and social cohesion? Is this issue particularly challenging for Canada because of its commitment to multiculturalism, its desire to respect its relations with First Nations peoples, as well as the concerns of its two founding peoples?
How can a modern democracy effectively balance the protection of its domestic interests with the ethical imperative to welcome those seeking refuge?
Date: Wednesday March 4, 2026
Time: 6:30 - 8:30 pm
Location: 3405 Atwater Ave, Montreal
Price: 25$Â Â
For students studying for credit at an educational institution, call 514-935-9585 for pricing details.
About the TMI 2026 Spring Series:
As we celebrate the Thomas More Institute’s 80th anniversary, we keep returning to the question that has guided us since 1945: How can we enrich public life through deeper understanding and shared inquiry? We seek to do this through our core programming, as well as by hosting the Annual Spring Interview Series. Launched in 1956 to celebrate the Institute’s tenth anniversary, and initially a single annual lecture, the event soon expanded into a multi-part series of talks and later into an interactive format that paired lectures with open discussion. By the mid-1990s, this evolution culminated in the Annual Spring Interview Series, bringing leading scholars into direct conversation with the public. The series has long supported scholars, emerging scholars, and leading educators by offering a forum for exchange and connection with others in related fields of study.
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