Good morning.
I want to thank the committee for taking the time to better understand the dynamics of increased francophone immigration.
As mentioned, I am the president of Sociopol and a senior researcher. We do a lot of work on issues related to francophone immigration.
In recent years, my colleague Guillaume Deschênes‑Thériault, other artisans, including Luisa Veronis, who is not here, and I have conducted more than a dozen studies on francophone immigration. As you can imagine, I could talk to you about this for hours, so feel free to ask us questions.
Today, I have chosen to focus my remarks on three findings that enable me to emphasize the somewhat more problematic dynamics that have been noted in recent years.
I would like to begin by emphasizing the importance of supporting the entire integration pathway for francophone temporary residents. I would remind you that the selection of economic permanent residents from former temporary foreign workers, known as the “two-step migration” process, has experienced a significant increase in Canada since the early 2000s.
Following this finding and at the request of the Department of Citizenship and Immigration, or IRCC, we conducted three studies—in 2022, I believe—aimed at better understanding the transition pathways to permanent residence for francophone skilled temporary foreign workers who had chosen to settle in the west, in Ontario or in the Atlantic provinces.
According to IRCC data, between 2012 and 2021, just over 10,000 francophones with skilled temporary foreign worker status settled in one of the regions studied. That accounts for between 2.3% and 3.3% of all skilled temporary foreign workers who were welcomed. I am mentioning these temporary residents because we are talking about thousands of francophones who, over the years, have obtained their permanent resident status and who hear about francophone communities often one, two or three years after they arrive.
To this day, the federal government does not fund settlement services for temporary residents who speak French. There is also no process for welcoming these people. Considering the increase in the proportion of temporary residents who transition to permanent residence and the difficult language retention of French in a minority context, we cannot afford to come into contact with these people several months or years after their arrival in Canada. Therefore, it seems important to us to create a settlement pathway specifically for francophone temporary residents, so that these people understand, even before they set foot in Canada, that francophone institutions are ready to welcome them and integrate them. This is a unique situation. It may not be necessary for anglophones, but it is important for francophones.
I would now like to talk about the importance of deploying a full suite of settlement services and ensuring that they are structurally managed. Year after year, our studies show that the services offered are more comprehensive on the anglophone side. They are deployed in more settings, and the staff of those organizations have access to more forums for consultation and professional development. On the other hand, our studies remind us of the importance of providing a welcome that preserves the linguistic security of immigrants and makes them want to show their roots in French in Canada. This is essential for the well-being of the people we welcome, but also for the vitality of francophone communities.
Through our work with the Comité consultatif national en établissement francophone, a body established by IRCC, we recently conducted a broad consultation with settlement stakeholders in francophone communities, involving more than 100 people. These consultations and the analysis of the services offered clearly show the absence of the principle of substantive equality between the settlement of francophones and that of anglophones. For example, while Canada is recognized as a model for resettling refugees, the ability of francophone communities to provide resettlement assistance in French remains very limited today compared to what is provided in English. The work of this committee has also largely shown the need for the francophone sector to receive support to develop its capacities, to improve its coordination and to ensure the visibility of francophone communities.