Okay, thank you.
Last year, during the COVID-19 pandemic, we heard testimony on the lack of services for newcomers. The federal government was missing in action. Consequently, in our region, the Fédération des francophones de la Colombie-Britannique and the provincial government, among others, took over, together with our riding offices, to bridge that major gap.
The department now has way more officials to process applications, and there are fewer applications than there were before the pandemic, but waiting times are increasingly long, which is very hard for people trying to immigrate.
Could you tell us a little about what you're doing to expedite the process? I know that many people want to know this because they're still expressing their frustration at our offices. I'd mainly like you to tell us about immigrants from francophone countries.