Citizenship and Immigration committee  I also think the other end of the equation is important, so that we are looking at how communities themselves have become more open and welcoming to immigrants and refugees; how public institutions have made changes to ensure that there is representation within their leadership structure; how employers are recruiting and hiring and retaining and promoting immigrants regardless of gender, race, sexual orientation, or issues of disability, which is continuing to be a real challenge for us; how employers are engaging with new immigrants.

Citizenship and Immigration committee  —and of employers and public institutions.

Citizenship and Immigration committee  I think the response is for us to take a look at CIC's eligibility criteria, and that services should be based on needs and not on status. For example, from what Sherman is saying, even when one becomes a citizen, those service needs don't go away, and folks should be able to access those services regardless of the fact that they've now become Canadians.

Citizenship and Immigration committee  The changes to our family reunification program where we've capped applications at 5,000 per year and we've also instituted our 10-year multiple in and out visa—what we call the super visa—have really made a difference in terms of who gets into Canada and how families are supported.

Citizenship and Immigration committee  I think that you have referred to them. Foreign credential recognition certainly remains a key issue. What we know is that even after credentials have been recognized, depending on the particular profession, often there are not enough internship or residents positions available for internationally trained physicians, as an example.

Citizenship and Immigration committee  I'll come back to it.

Citizenship and Immigration committee  I absolutely appreciate that, Mr. Chair.

Citizenship and Immigration committee  Let me start off by saying that we need a national child care program in Canada. Regardless of where women arrive in Canada, child care continues to be critically important to their labour market participation, but even to their being able to access settlement services. In Ontario, but I think this is true across the country, our language program funded by Citizenship and Immigration provides some child care spaces, and women have absolutely found that incredibly important.

Citizenship and Immigration committee  Thank you. This is particularly urgent given the many changes to immigration policies and programs. E-learning is growing in popularity, and is a good way to maximize resources, but some learning must be done face to face and in the company of peers. We believe Citizenship and Immigration Canada has an obligation to support this kind of lifelong learning and ongoing supports for those working on the front lines.

Citizenship and Immigration committee  Thank you, Mr. Chair. It's good to be back here to talk about settlement services with you. As you know, we are the provincial council here in Ontario for agencies working with immigrants and refugees. Our member agencies provide a range of services, including settlement, language training, employment, skills training, health and mental health, legal, housing, violence prevention, family counselling, and specialized services for women, youth, seniors, lesbian, gay, trans, and intersex folk, as well as people with disabilities.

Citizenship and Immigration committee  It's not fair at all. It is the same concern we have with the allowance under IRPA where, because you commit a crime and are given a sentence of more than six months, now with the changes, you could be deported to a country that you may not have any connection to because you happen to have been born there.

Citizenship and Immigration committee  Yes, we will. We do know that there are many refugees in particular, and many older refugee women, who have spent a generation in the camps and have had no access to formal education. Canada has granted them protection. We believe that they have as much right as anyone else to become citizens of this country.

Citizenship and Immigration committee  That has been one of our biggest issues. By having naturalized citizens take an oath swearing to reside in Canada, any movement away from that subjects them, we believe, to charges of fraud. They can be told that they lied to become a Canadian citizen, and now they've left the country, whether to study or, as we have found in our experience, as many folks are doing, to return to their country of origin to take care of parents and grandparents.

Citizenship and Immigration committee  I don't have a study I can quote you off the top of my head but I will gladly send information once I get back. But we do know—

Citizenship and Immigration committee  Thank you very much. It's good to be back to speak with you about Bill C-24. As you know, the bill was introduced on February 26, 2014, and the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration at the time said that the bill is meant to reduce citizenship fraud, increase efficiency of the system, and reduce backlogs.