Thank you.
Madam Chair, honourable members of the committee, I would like to thank you for giving me the opportunity to make a presentation this morning on behalf of Accueil francophone du Manitoba.
My name is Bintou Sacko and I have been the director of Accueil francophone since it was created in December 2003.
While we have come a long way in more than 20 years, we are now facing a kind of paradox. On the one hand, the federal government has sent a clear and positive signal by increasing the immigration target for the coming years to 10% by 2027. On the other hand, the objective comes at a time of declining overall immigration levels to Canada. This raises a crucial question: How can we sustainably welcome more francophones if the means to do so aren't there? We welcome the commitment to increasing the target, but it must be accompanied by investments to support the intake, integration and retention of people who are at the heart of our communities. Without it, the objective will remain a paradox, an empty promise.
To illustrate these issues, I will address four themes: immigration levels, the asylum system, the immigration process and the strategies we need to put in place.
First, with regard to immigration levels, the FCFA, the Fédération des communautés francophones et acadienne du Canada, is right to note that the federal government is following through on its commitment. Increasing the percentage targets helps stabilize the number of French-speaking immigrants at approximately 30,000 per year, despite the decrease in the overall target. This is an essential protection to reverse the demographic decline of our communities.
However, make no mistake: Stabilizing the number of francophone newcomers is not enough. An FCFA study showed that we needed a minimum of 12% to get there. With two years to reach the 10% target and several years of delay, we are a long way from achieving our goal.
What's more, the challenge is twofold. Critical programs are already underfunded and geographically limited. Increasing the percentage of the target without increasing resources for recruitment is like expanding a front door without expanding the vestibule. We invite people here without increasing integration capacity.
Second, there is the issue of the asylum system. Adding to the pressure is a new reality: the sharp increase in the number of francophone asylum seekers in our communities, particularly in Manitoba. This is a direct result of recent policy changes elsewhere in the country.
These people often arrive in a state of extreme vulnerability and turn to our organizations, which are on the front line. However, no additional or dedicated funding has been set aside to meet this specific, growing demand. Our intake structures are overwhelmed and forced to do more with the same resources. This jeopardizes the quality of reception services for newcomers.
Third is the immigration process. The journey of immigrants in minority communities, once they are here, is fraught with obstacles. They're facing a dual challenge. First, there is the language challenge. Even though they are francophones, many of them have to do a language upgrade to adapt to our environment. These courses must be funded, not only for learning English, but also for adapting their French to the Canadian professional setting.
Then there's the challenge of integration. If settlement services managed by and for francophones are not better funded, integration takes longer, which leads to discouragement and prolonged dependence. The risk is huge: When newcomers don't find the necessary support within francophone communities, they run the risk of being assimilated and separated from the community, often without realizing it. We do all the preliminary recruitment work and then lose them. It's a failure for them and it's a failure for us.
Fourth, we are proposing strategies and recommendations. In the face of these challenges, urgent, concrete solutions are needed. Programs like Destination Canada need to be fully funded and expanded to reach the vast pool of francophone talent in the world. The target will only be met if we put measures in place to do so.
It is also imperative to allocate direct, stable and adequate funding for francophone settlement services by allocating a specific envelope to respond to the influx of asylum seekers. We are asking that these services be managed by francophone organizations to help francophone immigrants specifically.
Finally, we need to ensure that programs that work well and that give extra points to francophones, such as the express entry system, are protected and made permanent.
In conclusion, the government's commitment is a first step, but to turn numbers into people who integrate and into our communities and thrive, we need to move from ambition to action. Let's put measures in place to achieve our ambitions. Let's invest in our intake structures to ensure not only the future of newcomers, but also the vitality and sustainability of the Canadian francophone community.
Thank you.
