Good afternoon, Madam Chair. I am speaking to you from Montreal, which is located on the unceded traditional territory of the Kanien'kehá:ka nation.
I'd like to thank the members of the Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration for the opportunity to present the recommendations of our organization, Le Québec c'est nous aussi. We are a non-profit organization working to defend the rights and living conditions of immigrants in Quebec by voicing the concerns of our communities in a non-partisan manner, promoting immigration in Quebec society and creating the conditions needed to build a diverse and inclusive Quebec.
Today, I am speaking on behalf of tens of thousands of people who are facing injustice, unreasonable delays and arbitrary decisions by a department that no longer seems to have the means to achieve its ambitions. My voice is surely louder and more emotional, because we live these dramas alongside members of our community, and I want to describe their distress as best I can.
Today, we're talking about the extremely high study permit refusal rates for francophone students from certain African countries. Initially, I want to focus on the underlying reason for refusal, which is that Canada does not believe these students will leave the country after their studies. Therefore, the officer applies section 179(b) of the immigration and refugee protection regulations, to the letter.
At the same time, Canada is doing everything in its power to ensure that international students remain here after graduation using tools specifically designed to support the retention of international students, such as post-graduation work permits and programs like—