Evidence of meeting #21 for Citizenship and Immigration in the 45th Parliament, 1st session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was communities.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Conservative
Brad Redekopp Conservative Saskatoon West, SK
What would you ask them if you could ask them a question?
Lawyer, As an Individual
I would ask them to end the policy of accepting asylum claims without asking any questions.
Conservative
Brad Redekopp Conservative Saskatoon West, SK
That makes sense.
We proposed some amendments to Bill C-12—for example, not allowing asylum claims from people who have transited through a G7 country or an EU country. Another was that, basically, if you lie to an officer, you would immediately not be able to claim asylum.
Do you think reforms like that would be helpful to our system?
Lawyer, As an Individual
I'll comment briefly on the idea of having designated countries.
A designated country-of-origin policy was contained in the Balanced Refugee Reform Act of 2010. To me, that's significant because that was during a minority Parliament, and it was legislation that was passed with the support of all parties in the House of Commons. It contained a variation on a way of partially restricting access to Canada's asylum system on the basis that the claimant may be coming from a safe, or relatively safe, country. It's an idea that has had some success in Canada's Parliament previously.
Liberal
Liberal
Amandeep Sodhi Liberal Brampton Centre, ON
Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you to our witnesses for being here today.
My first question is for Madam Roy.
You recently emphasized the benefit that Canada has in having a bilingual workforce and how the francophone immigration targets contribute to this. Can you explain further your thoughts on the economic benefits that Canada sees by having a bilingual workforce?
Alain Dupuis Executive Director, Fédération des communautés francophones et acadienne du Canada
Thank you for your question.
In our opinion, francophone immigration outside Quebec must first and foremost meet the economic needs of the francophone minority. As we know, we are dealing with labour shortages in key areas such as education. In fact, there is a shortage of at least 15,000 French and second-language teachers outside Quebec. Consequently, if we want to maintain a bilingual Canada, we certainly need qualified teachers.
We are also short 75,000 francophone day care spots. It's very difficult to place your children in a French-language day care outside Quebec. As we know, if children aren't educated in French during their early childhood, they won't go to a French-language school.
Those are the two sectors fundamental to the future of bilingualism in Canada, but there is also potential to develop bilingualism in other sectors. We know that the transportation and tourism sectors, for example, require bilingualism to properly welcome Canadians and enable them to travel.
We can also count on the bilingualization of more sectors of the Canadian economy in all provinces and territories. The Canadian economy is in a period of diversification. The more we use Canada's bilingual advantage, the more we will be able to diversify markets.
As mentioned, the francophonie is made up of 90 states from around the world where French is spoken. In our opinion, it is important to support the maintenance and growth of bilingualism in Canada.
Liberal
Amandeep Sodhi Liberal Brampton Centre, ON
Madam Roy, you've been clear that francophone minority communities outside Quebec are facing a huge demographic decline and that immigration plays a central role in reversing that trend.
In January, the Minister of Immigration announced that Canada will exceed its 2025 target, reaching 8.9% on the 8.5% target, and that this target will continue to increase to 10.5% in 2026. From your perspective, what message does exceeding the 2025 target send to the francophone minority community across the country? Looking ahead, if Canada continues to meet or exceed these targets, what impact could that have on the vitality and long-term sustainability of francophone communities over the next decade?
President, Fédération des communautés francophones et acadienne du Canada
Thank you for the question.
The fact that we exceeded the target in 2025 is significant. It is a sign that we are moving in the right direction, but unfortunately, we are several years behind.
From 2003 to 2019, we were unable to meet the 4.4% targets. The delay has really caused a demographic loss in our regions and in our communities. It is therefore very important to ensure that we can meet the targets. That said, we also need to set even more ambitious targets so that we can ensure the vitality of our communities.
The Prime Minister announced a 12% target for 2029. However, we think we should go even further to be able to make up for all the years when we didn't meet the target.
A few years ago, the Commissioner of Official Languages conducted a study that showed that the shortfall in our communities was about 73,000 people, since we didn't meet the targets for two decades. We're still playing catch-up. We have to meet the targets, but we have to have even more ambitious targets.
Liberal
Amandeep Sodhi Liberal Brampton Centre, ON
The FCFA has emphasized that ambition in setting francophone targets must also be matched with implementation. In practical terms, what are the most important tools or mechanisms that you feel will help translate a national target into tangible results on the ground?
President, Fédération des communautés francophones et acadienne du Canada
That's a great question, and we talk about it often.
It is important to introduce francophone lenses into IRCC's existing programs.
In addition, the policy launched by the government in 2024, the francophone immigration policy, talks about a separate economic immigration program for francophones.
We think it's very important that the program see the light of day. We recommend that it be put in place as quickly as possible, because a separate immigration program for francophone communities would send a strong message to increase francophone immigration. It would be a lasting commitment to the evolution and vitality of our communities. It would ensure consistency with the francophone immigration target. It would ensure detailed accountability. It would align with the standard of substantive equality set out in the Official Languages Act.
As I mentioned in my opening remarks, according to the new version of the Official Languages Act, which was passed in 2023, we have to go back to the demographic weight of francophones that existed in 1971.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Julie Dzerowicz
Thank you, Ms. Roy. That's the end of the six minutes.
Mr. Deschênes, you have the floor for six minutes.
Bloc
Alexis Deschênes Bloc Gaspésie—Les Îles-de-la-Madeleine—Listuguj, QC
Thank you, Madam Chair.
Mr. Yousif, my next questions are for you.
Do you speak French?
Bloc
Alexis Deschênes Bloc Gaspésie—Les Îles-de-la-Madeleine—Listuguj, QC
Okay.
I want to begin by thanking you, because you are making quite a significant contribution today. You're telling us about a practice that was previously unknown.
If I understand correctly, claims from asylum seekers increased starting in 2017. At the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, it was decided that tasks had to be lightened and security checks had to be set aside, given the extra workload.
What you're telling us is that, for four years, 25,000 asylum seekers who claimed refugee status were admitted without meeting any officers or being asked any questions. The board relied solely on their written declaration.
That process was not in place prior to 2019.
Is that correct?
Lawyer, As an Individual
That's correct. There were substantial investments and reforms to the system in 2010. The new system was implemented in 2012. The key to those reforms was that the IRB would maintain a certain level of claim finalizations each year. Between 2012 and 2017 the IRB was unable to meet those targets, and a second backlog had emerged.
Then—and I think this is an important detail to understand—in 2017 the Trudeau government commissioned an independent review because of this continued inability of the IRB to stay on top of its backlog and meet its promised level of claim finalizations. The Trudeau government appointed former deputy minister Neil Yeates to lead an independent review of the asylum system.
Mr. Yeates was considering all options. His report was published. The two main options were to leave it as is or to do what he referred to as “major structural reform”, i.e. take the refugee protection division from the IRB and move it to IRCC so that it would be fixed in a reporting relationship to a minister, so that ministers and cabinet would have oversight and so that IRCC would just have better control over this problematic aspect of the system.
In 2017 the IRB was under immense pressure to quickly produce an increase in its rate of finalizations. It was by using this policy tool I've been describing that they were able to do that.
Bloc
Alexis Deschênes Bloc Gaspésie—Les Îles-de-la-Madeleine—Listuguj, QC
We've adopted a practice that involves eliminating security checks. Through an access to information request, you're able to tell us that, until 2023, 25,000 asylum seekers were able to enter the country without meeting with an officer.
To your knowledge, is this situation still ongoing?
Lawyer, As an Individual
The extent of the disclosure that you referenced was from January 2019 to February 2023, and—that's right—as you've said, the number during that period of time was just under 25,000.
Bloc
Lawyer, As an Individual
—and, just to your question about security, there is front-end security screening. However, the IRB itself is required to act as a kind of security screen to notify the Minister of Public Safety or the Minister of Immigration. If an issue comes up during questioning that raises a security flag or a program integrity flag, they must notify the minister. However, if they don't conduct a hearing and they don't ask any questions, that can't happen.
Bloc
Alexis Deschênes Bloc Gaspésie—Les Îles-de-la-Madeleine—Listuguj, QC
The decision was made to remove the obligation to conduct reviews for people from countries on the list of countries with the highest crime rates.
Why is it important to have individual reviews before someone is allowed to be a refugee in Canada?
Lawyer, As an Individual
Are you asking about contact with claimants before they come to Canada, or are you asking about why it is important to conduct hearings?
Bloc
Alexis Deschênes Bloc Gaspésie—Les Îles-de-la-Madeleine—Listuguj, QC
Why is it important to hold hearings?