Minister, I must interrupt you.
There is proof about francophone foreign students, particularly those from West Africa. You mentioned students from Senegal and Morocco, but you could have included those from French‑speaking Cameroon and Côte d'Ivoire, who have been given various grounds for refusal, application after application. One of the common grounds for refusal is the fear that the student will not return to their country of origin after finishing their studies.
I know that you want to do as much as possible, but it's a major challenge for these students right now. It hurts francophone educational institutions in Quebec, but also those outside of Quebec, which are fighting to bring over students and would love to have them stay in their communities after finishing their studies.
In short, I think that we will need to work together on this.
You said that you have followed the committee sittings attentively and you are eager to hear our recommendations. I believe that you are sincere in this regard.
That being said, a dozen or so witnesses have told us that they would welcome the creation of an ombudsman position at IRCC. I asked you the question last Tuesday. I don't know whether you have had time to reflect on the idea in the meantime.
Do you support the creation of this position, yes or no?