It is clearly not enough, Mr. Murphy. These are people who immigrated in 2004 and who reported having a knowledge of French or of both languages, French and English. Indeed, the number is low. I think this demonstrates the scope of the challenge we face in general.
The figures for Moncton are also low. However, initiatives were undertaken in your region, and I think they have a lot of potential. In our strategic plan, we show how our foreign student program can be used as a lever to attract immigrants, in this instance, students who want to remain in Canada after completing their studies, to promote francophone immigration.
A few years ago, Citizenship and Immigration Canada began testing initiatives that are now implemented nation-wide. The first initiatives were tested in your region two or three years ago. Students were allowed to work for over a year at the University of Moncton and other institutions in the region, two years after receiving their diploma. That way, they can remain in the region much longer after graduating and find a job. They can ultimately apply to immigrate, either through the New Brunswick Nominee Program or our federal programs.
When we talk about research, this is the kind of measure that seems to have a much greater impact on whether immigrants remain in a region such as Moncton. Other provinces have implemented similar measures, and we hope that this will lead to better results.