I can try to answer that. The Canada-Quebec Agreement gives Quebec power over all aspects surrounding the reception and integration of immigrants and also provides for a generous financial compensation. Unfortunately, we are in approximately the same situation as the other provinces. Our immigration and linguistic services budgets have been frozen for the past three or four years, even though the sums provided by the Agreement have increased over the last three years from 156 million to 197 million dollars. By way of indexation, Quebec has received 30 million more dollars during the last three years but we have seen no increase in services during that time. That is the situation right now.
The problem of immigrant youth, and this is becoming more and more evident, is a serious one. There are very few resources and measures available to organizations. As Chris pointed out, our services are mainly aimed at adult immigrants inasmuch as language, support, integration, and employment-seeking services are concerned and very few services are designed specifically for young people. The language question is perhaps less of a problem because they go to school and learn the language rather quickly although in the regions, there are some problems with language courses given in schools outside Montreal. The linguistic question is therefore less of a problem for young people.
On the other hand, young immigrants are faced with various problems including integration within the school, dropping out, poverty and family conflicts et there are no services for them. They fall between the cracks whether it be with social services, the Department of Education or the Department of Immigration. No one seems to be responsible for exercising leadership. The Department of Education says that Immigration is responsible and the Department of Immigration says that it is not responsible for youth, that the responsibility rests with social services and social services say that the youth are immigrants and that, therefore, they are the responsibility of the Department of Immigration. In the end, no one is responsible. That is basically what we see. Other provinces have approximately the same problem.
It’s important that all these institutions apply the same approach, but this is not the case.