Thank you.
Madam Chair and members of the committee, my name is Luc Amoussou. I am the executive director of the Immigrants Working Centre and vice-president of L'Assemblée de la francophonie de l'Ontario. It is an honour to appear before you today on behalf of the city of Hamilton and the Immigrants Working Centre, an organization that has supported newcomers for more than 38 years.
I speak to you today not only as a leader in the settlement sector but also as someone who has lived the Canadian immigration story. With over 25 years of experience in international mobility, including experience at the UN, I can say with confidence that Canada remains one of the most welcoming and attractive destinations in the world.
From the perspective of IWC, immigration is much more than a social success; it is an economic necessity for Canada. According to IRCC's projections, immigration will account for almost 100% of Canada's labour force growth by 2030, and by 2032, it will account for 100% of our population growth. Immigration is not optional for Hamilton or for Canada; it is essential to our economic future.
The question today is no longer whether Canada can welcome newcomers but how we welcome them. It's how we ensure that they are not blamed for broader societal challenges and how we help them integrate successfully into our communities and labour market. However, our capacity to support newcomers is being tested. While the stabilization of immigration levels announced in November 2024 is understandable, the budget cuts introduced in April 2025 have placed our sector and our clients under immense strain. These cuts have weakened essential services and amplified the mental health pressures faced by newcomers.
We must be clear on one point: Immigration is permanent. The funding that supports integration must also be permanent. Project-based funding creates gaps, staff turnover and service instability. Essential services cannot depend on short-term pilots. We strongly recommend a return to five-year funding cycles for the settlement sector, along with adding two more years to the current agreements.
As a frontline organization working with thousands of newcomers each year, we see first-hand how Canada's immigration processes shape their early experiences. Newcomers regularly face complex documentation requirements, unclear instructions, digital barriers and long processing timelines. Even small errors can delay applications by months, leading to job loss, financial hardship, family separation and serious impacts on mental health. In recent months, we have seen a significant rise in mental vulnerability among our clients. Settlement agencies like ours play a crucial role in helping newcomers navigate these challenges.
Stronger collaboration between IRCC and the settlement sector would help address some important issues. Four areas to address are reducing digital and language barriers, improving communication with frontline partners, reviewing the impact of AI-based processing tools and ensuring that application instructions are clear, complete and consistent.
Settlement organizations are not only providers; we are also partners. The IRCC and the settlement sector can work to make Canada's system more efficient.
Let me end by saying that Canada's economic success depends on immigration, and immigration success depends on strong, stable and properly funded settlement services. When newcomers succeed, Canada succeeds with them.
Thank you very much.