Official Languages Committee on March 24th, 2015

[Gaël Corbineau]

The challenge for our immigration networks to provide services to temporary workers has been brought up a number of times before immigration officials and before the minister himself. Some immigration networks are lucky to obtain provincial funding, which enables them to provide those services. But that is not the case in my province.

[Anne-Marie Day, NDP, Charlesbourg—Haute-Saint-Charles, QC]

Thank you.

[The Chair, Conservative, Michael Chong]

Okay, thank you.

Mr. Daniel, please.

[Joe Daniel, Conservative, Don Valley East, ON]

Thank you, Chair.

Thank you, folks, for being here. It's quite an interesting discussion. As an immigrant here myself, one of the key things for my coming here was jobs. I suspect that's the same situation with francophones who are coming here. Certainly, it's an important factor.

We've had witnesses here before who have actually told us that most of the francophone communities are having trouble retaining their own communities within that organization.... In other words, the younger people are going off to other places for education and are not coming back. Clearly, they're not coming back because, for their qualifications, those are the jobs that actually will support them. That's a fairly important factor.

I'm going to turn to a subject that's a little different. What countries is Canada competing with to attract francophone immigrants? Francophone people obviously are immigrating to different countries as well.

Let me start with you, Monsieur Boileau.

[François Boileau]

It's a good question. I'm not sure that I would have a quantified answer. I don't think I have an answer that will be rigorous, so this will just be off the top of my head.

France obviously would be one country that would attract francophone immigration, especially from the continent of Africa, and Belgium too, I would suggest. For Switzerland, I'm not sure, because Switzerland has very specific immigration policies that are quite difficult. I would suggest that France would be a direct competitor for Africans.

[Joe Daniel, Conservative, Don Valley East, ON]

Are you suggesting that they have the right skill sets to fill the positions there or...?

[François Boileau]

I'm not suggesting anything. I'm just trying to answer your question correctly. Obviously in Canada we have

credential recognition. I'm not sure whether that is the proper term.

[Joe Daniel, Conservative, Don Valley East, ON]

It's okay. There's interpretation.

[François Boileau]

Yes, there's interpretation.

Foreign credential recognition falls under federal jurisdiction. Especially in Ontario, we wonder how those people are going to become members of professional associations. That falls under our jurisdiction in Ontario, and it is more complicated. Jean Augustine, our equity commissioner, is working on this issue. She is helping newcomers have their skills and credentials recognized so that they can join the professional associations in Ontario. That is a latent problem in Ontario. Slowly but surely, we are addressing it.

[Joe Daniel, Conservative, Don Valley East, ON]

Is there anybody else?

[Anne Hébert]

I don't think we are competing with another country. The proof is that we are never up to date with processing all the applications from potential immigrants who want to come to Canada.

Canada is a wonderful country and many people want to come here. The question is this: how do francophone immigrants integrate into communities where French is not the predominant language? The problem is not the number of immigrants who hope to come to Canada, but rather the way they can be integrated into, attracted to, and retained in our communities.

[Joe Daniel, Conservative, Don Valley East, ON]

Let me respond to you.

In your earlier statement you stated that there are lots of jobs. You've got thousands of businesses looking for people for positions you can't fill. These immigrants can't take those positions? Why is there this discrepancy? Why is there this gap?

[Anne Hébert]

First, those businesses have not necessarily started the process of filling those positions through immigration. We are talking about small and medium-sized businesses in smaller regions where managers have often not gone to university or even graduated high school. All those processes are intricate for them. So those businesses don't always turn to immigration.

Second, those jobs don't always allow immigrants to come. The positions are not really recognized as being accessible to immigrants. Many factors come into play.

[Joe Daniel, Conservative, Don Valley East, ON]

Okay.

Let me give some of the others a chance.

Is there anybody else?

[Gaël Corbineau]

I am somewhere between Mr. Boileau and Ms. Hébert. There is not a great deal of competition, but France is still a competitor.

Let me explain. France's economy is not doing so well, but it is not doing so bad either. The media blow things out of proportion. In fact, every year, France attracts twice as many immigrants as Canada.

The competition actually is in other countries. I am thinking of francophone Africa in particular. The education system there is based on the French model, as history would have it. As a result, France has a huge advantage in terms of credential recognition. A doctor from a country in francophone Africa will have a much easier time working in France. There are barriers, but significantly fewer than here. Also, France's family reunification system is much more flexible than Canada's.

As a result, our problem has to do with the recognition of credentials. Mr. Boileau mentioned it in relation to all the regulated professions, such as teaching or health care. That is a huge challenge, a tremendous challenge. We have had to deal with that before as a lot of bilingual nurses, from Belgium especially, applied and we haven't been able to follow up on their applications because of the issue with the recognition of credentials and professional associations.

That is why I am sort of sitting on the fence. I think France is a competitor in this area.

[Joe Daniel, Conservative, Don Valley East, ON]

Okay.

[Ferdinand Kashama]

I'd like to give my opinion on the subject.

I know that immigration in France is virtually inevitable. A lot more people try to immigrate to France, as mentioned.

Canada is very far from francophone countries. It can be difficult to get into Canada. The thing that's been a problem for years is how to integrate these individuals with credentials from their home countries. That's been an issue as long as I've been in Canada, and no solution has ever been found. I'm not sure whether the answer will fall from the sky or come from decision makers.

The question we have been asking for years is who has the authority to fix the problem. It's an issue that keeps coming up. How can we fix the problem? I don't know. The solutions just aren't coming.

That's what I wanted to add. Thank you.

[The Chair, Conservative, Michael Chong]

Thank you.

It is now over to Mr. Nicholls.

[Jamie Nicholls, NDP, Vaudreuil—Soulanges, QC]

I'm going to share my time with Ms. Day. She will go first.

[Anne-Marie Day, NDP, Charlesbourg—Haute-Saint-Charles, QC]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I'd just like to clarify something. I don't want to take time away from the witnesses, but I'd like the committee to deal with our notice of motion today.

[The Chair, Conservative, Michael Chong]

Thank you.

Mr. Nicholls, your turn.

[Jamie Nicholls, NDP, Vaudreuil—Soulanges, QC]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Most of my questions are for Mr. Boileau.

I'm going to ask them in English.

In November 2014, there was a report that came out, “Time to Act for the Future of Francophone Communities”. In that report there were recommendations made that the federal government should report by April 30, 2015—or the minister—about the impact of changes to the immigration system.

Have you or anyone in your office been in contact with the minister to see if that deadline will be met?

[François Boileau]

We haven't been in contact with CIC because it's not our direct responsibility. It's the responsibility of our federal counterpart, Graham Fraser's office.

[Jamie Nicholls, NDP, Vaudreuil—Soulanges, QC]

Have you spoken with Mr. Fraser about that?

[François Boileau]

We did, but on this specific point I don't think they've received any information. I don't want to go further, not knowing exactly what type of discussion has been entered into between my federal counterpart and CIC.