Thank you for your question.
Mr. Chairman, I entirely agree: there is a problem of bogus consultants and unscrupulous intermediaries who exploit those seeking citizenship or immigrant status. That's why I have made a commitment to carry out a reform and to increase regulation in this sector.
The problem isn't unique to Canada; it also exists in other countries. Most frauds—that is to say the exploitation of potential immigrants to Canada by intermediaries—take place overseas. That's why I said it was necessary of our international partners, in particular India and China, to do much more to regulate immigration consultants. Personally I want to put pressure on those foreign governments. In this country, I've spoken with Minister Yolande James. She's concerned about the problem in Quebec and is considering the options at the federal level. We're going to reveal certain ideas based partly on the recommendations of this committee.
As regards the fraud related to citizenship and permanent residence, we saw a feature on Radio-Canada two weeks ago. I emphasized that the problem was not unique to the consultant or national from Lebanon. It is not correct to say that this comes from one single country. We see this problem everywhere, in all countries of origin. It is obviously not exclusive to Quebec. It's a problem that exists everywhere and is an enormous concern to us.