Official Languages Committee on Feb. 16th, 2022

[Mario Beaulieu, Bloc, La Pointe-de-l'Île, QC]

Exactly.

[Sarah Boily]

Actually, Canadian Heritage has programs, arts and culture programs, for Quebec francophones, since we promote and expose them to a broader audience.

We also have other initiatives that are funded by the programs…

[Mario Beaulieu, Bloc, La Pointe-de-l'Île, QC]

In the official languages context, they're strictly intended for anglophones. Is that correct?

[Sarah Boily]

I wouldn't say they're strictly intended for anglophones because some aspects are for francophones.

For example, the Conseil des ministres sur la francophonie canadienne, which consists of representatives of all governments, including the Quebec government, is working on joint projects for the entire francophonie.

[Mario Beaulieu, Bloc, La Pointe-de-l'Île, QC]

Actually, you can see from the public accounts that project funding is allocated to the Fédération des chambres de commerce du Québec.

First of all, exactly what's that for? And, second, is there a list or other source that provides details on funded projects?

[Sarah Boily]

We can definitely provide you with details on the project funding that goes directly to Quebec. I don't have that information with me today.

[Mario Beaulieu, Bloc, La Pointe-de-l'Île, QC]

All right, thank you.

My next question will be for a Department of Citizenship and Immigration representative.

Last December, I believe, 90% of temporary permit applications from African and francophone students were denied for countries such as Guinea, the Republic of Congo, Benin and others. The rejection rate also included individuals applying to study at Franco-Ontarian institutions. Based on what we're seeing in my riding office, there are a lot of similar cases in Quebec.

How do you explain that? I know the Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration is studying the problem. I think this bias against those students is being attributed to the Chinook program.

Officially, though, the government is trying to increase francophone immigration, but the Department of Citizenship and Immigration is doing the opposite.

[Glen Linder]

Thank you.

As regards African student approval rates, the gap between rates for anglophone and francophone applicants is actually quite small.

In 2021, the approval rate was 33% for anglophone African students and 27% for francophone African students. It was the reverse in 2019: the francophone rate was higher.

We review every application based on the documents submitted with it. However, we're also aware that the student population is important both for our universities and as a major pool of future francophone immigrants.

[Mario Beaulieu, Bloc, La Pointe-de-l'Île, QC]

Ultimately, you're saying that what we see in the media is false.

The media have reported the following refusal rates: 90% for Guinea and the Republic of Congo, 87% for Cameroon, 85% for Algeria, 88% for Benin and 80% for Senegal.

Do you think those numbers are incorrect?

[Glen Linder]

No, I don't think they're incorrect.

I'd say there's a very small difference between the refusal rates of anglophone and francophone students from all African countries. I'm not talking about any country in particular.

[Mario Beaulieu, Bloc, La Pointe-de-l'Île, QC]

All right.

Since the students from the countries I just named are mainly francophone, that must have a major impact.

It seems to me the minister mentioned that a study was being conducted on the subject.

Is a study under way to look into this situation?

[Glen Linder]

Yes, we're closely monitoring the issue because we're concerned about the approval rates of African students in general. We've introduced initiatives to promote student immigration from Africa. For example,…

[The Chair, Liberal, René Arseneault]

Thank you, Mr. Linder.

You'll definitely have an opportunity to clarify your answers in response to further questions.

Our next colleague to ask a question is, I presume, replacing Mrs. Ashton.

For her first time here, we have Ms. McPherson.

Ms. McPherson, welcome to the Standing Committee on Official Languages.

You have six minutes.

[Heather McPherson, NDP, Edmonton Strathcona, AB]

Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.

It's my first time in this Parliament to be here. I have been at this committee in the previous Parliament. I'm happy to be able to join you again.

As many of you will know, I'm from Edmonton. Edmonton Strathcona is the home to Campus Saint-Jean, of course, and is the heart of a very thriving Franco-Albertan community, so I'm happy to be here and to be able to ask some questions of you.

Some of the first questions I have are around the immigration and IRCC issues we have been hearing about today. The witnesses talked about the idea that they are looking into it and that there is research being done, but I think it's very clear that we have a problem here.

Francophone communities are very clear. They know very well that immigration is critical to maintaining their demographic weight and protecting their access to critical services, and they rely on the IRCC to work with them for their very survival. The department has neglected francophone minority communities. The government's target of 4.4% of francophone immigration, established 20 years ago, has never been reached.

The francophone communities need to go beyond aiming for the same targets and, rather, to correct the situation. We need to go further because the government has failed to meet that 4.4% target. We need more ambitious targets. We need to recognize how important it is that we make up for the failure to meet those targets in the past.

What is the department willing to do? Will it be willing to listen to the communities? Will it set new targets to correct these decades of failure? What are those concrete steps? I would just like some very concrete steps on what will be done to ensure that the new targets are actually reached, not just put forward.

[Corinne Prince]

Thank you for your question.

Madam McPherson, thank you very much for your question about our 4.4% target for 2023.

I can tell you that IRCC has advanced in a number of ways over the past several years to work much more closely with the francophone minority communities outside of Quebec. Last year we increased the number of francophone service providers outside of Quebec from 50 to 80 and invested many more millions of dollars in francophone services. Just a few weeks ago our minister, Minister Fraser, added nine additional resettlement agencies to assist with the incoming Afghan refugees. We doubled the number of francophone resettlement agencies in that announcement, adding agencies in Bathurst and Edmonton as well as in Grande Prairie and Fort McMurray, so in your province.

In addition, in order to meet the target, last year we put in place a TR-to-PR pathway initiative, with no caps on the francophone applicants, with a view to increasing the number of international students here in Canada who could apply for permanent residency. There were more than 7,000 applications for that initiative, and we hope that will go a long way to increasing the number of landings to address the 4.4% target.

I must say, however, Madam McPherson, that we are in a pandemic, and the pandemic has in fact been quite an issue, not only for francophone newcomers but for all newcomers to the country. Closed borders and the continuing pandemic have affected the number of newcomers to our country.

[Heather McPherson, NDP, Edmonton Strathcona, AB]

With all due respect, though, this was something that was put in place many years before the pandemic, and that target has never been met. With all due respect, as much as our lives have all been turned on their head during COVID-19, this is very clearly an indication that the target of 4.4% needs to be more ambitious and there needs to be more done to make sure it can be reached. I'm glad you were able to share some of those concrete things. I certainly hope that is sufficient to get to where I think we all need and want to get to.

In terms of francophone immigration outside of Quebec, in a section of the report that was tabled in Parliament yesterday, the data for 2021 is missing. Can you tell us what the percentage of landed francophone immigrants outside of Quebec is in 2021?

[Corinne Prince]

I can, absolutely, Madam McPherson.

I have data in front of me for January to October 2021, and approximately 2% of all admissions were francophone. Just the year before, it was almost 4%. As you can see, the pandemic has had a very large influence on that.

I will say, though, that economic—

[The Chair, Liberal, René Arseneault]

Thank you, Ms. Prince.

I'm sorry. Thank you.

To cut this meeting in two equal parts, we will have to go until five o'clock Ottawa time.

I will allow two three-minute questions and two one-minute questions for the Bloc and the NDP. That will take us up to 6:00 p.m.

I will begin with Mr. Dalton, who will have three minutes.

[Marc Dalton, Conservative, Pitt Meadows—Maple Ridge, BC]

Thank you.

[Joël Godin, Conservative, Portneuf—Jacques-Cartier, QC]

Mr. Chair, I think we can take more time if we go to 5:05 p.m. We can divide the time in two for the two panels. Can you check with the clerk?

[The Chair, Liberal, René Arseneault]

Are you suggesting two times two and a half minutes?

[Joël Godin, Conservative, Portneuf—Jacques-Cartier, QC]

I think we can do two blocks of four minutes and two blocks of two minutes and finish on time.

[The Chair, Liberal, René Arseneault]

You're right, but last time I was told that wouldn't allow for the two respective five-minute speaking times of the government and the official opposition or the two two-and-a-half-minute speaking times of the second and third opposition parties.

[Joël Godin, Conservative, Portneuf—Jacques-Cartier, QC]

Pardon me, Mr. Chair, that's not exactly what was said last time. We said that the representation of the parties in the House should be observed. You had allotted the same speaking time to the four parties, but Mr. Serré and I asked that we be allowed two minutes each and one minute for the other two parties.

[The Chair, Liberal, René Arseneault]

All right.