That is a very interesting question.
Thank you for giving me the opportunity to speak to this question.
One of the things that contributes to Canada's excellent reputation is that our society is founded on the rule of law. In my personal experience, one of the very important features that attracts newcomers to Canada is that our society is founded on the rule of law and provides legitimate recognition of minorities.
Parents who have chosen Canada as a new home for their children and who come here have great respect for the legal system. The legal community does not have to go to other countries to encourage people to come to Canada. It is certainly a major factor that attracts people.
As to the influence our association has in specific situations, such as the influx of refugees, this kind of crisis is of course sudden: it is not something that is anticipated 5 or 10 years in advance. In general terms, the legal community, both francophone and anglophone, did mobilize—I am not limited to speaking about francophone communities only—to facilitate their immigration. Clinics offering pro bono services were created and many lawyers were trained on specific issues related to refugees. That was one of the factors that made the operation a success.
In the francophone community, we had to adapt very quickly to the needs of certain incoming groups, groups of francophones arriving, or where the host community was francophone. We had to react quickly to make this one-off project a success. This was much easier in communities where resources were already in place, there was someone there to get organized and find the volunteers needed to offer the one-time service.
This is another example where having resources in place, if they are well-funded, makes it possible to adapt more quickly to an urgent situation in the community where everyone had to pitch in.