Official Languages Committee on Feb. 28th, 2022

[Angelo Iacono, Liberal, Alfred-Pellan, QC]

How will IRCC's welcoming francophone communities initiative be implemented?

[Corinne Prince]

We introduced the welcoming francophone communities initiative in close cooperation with the francophone communities. This is the first time I've seen such a targeted process. The communities themselves suggested 14 welcoming francophone communities to the department, and we accepted the suggestions of each of those communities in every province and territory.

[Angelo Iacono, Liberal, Alfred-Pellan, QC]

Please explain to us what IRCC's francophone integration pathway is.

[Corinne Prince]

The francophone integration pathway was launched in 2018 and offers newcomers the most comprehensive French-language pathway possible in order to forge ties with francophone communities across the country based on the “by and for” concept. The ultimate goal is to ensure the vitality and sistainability of these communities.

[Angelo Iacono, Liberal, Alfred-Pellan, QC]

Do I have any time left, Mr. Chair?

[The Vice-Chair, Conservative, Joël Godin]

You have 30 seconds left.

[Corinne Prince]

I'd like to add something. The “by and for” concept is very interesting. We're talking about integration services provided “by” francophone suppliers, and they are “for” francophone newcomers. Sometimes I add the word “with” because it's all done with the Canadian government.

[The Vice-Chair, Conservative, Joël Godin]

Thank you for that addition, Ms. Prince.

Mr. Beaulieu, you have six minutes.

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

Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.

Earlier my colleague asked you why you've never met your francophone immigration percentage targets. With all due respect, I'd like to remind you that you've never stated a single one, but you must have a clear idea. Is it because it's hard to recruit immigrants in francophone countries? Can you at least cite a single reason why you've never hit your targets?

[Corinne Prince]

Thank you very much for that question.

Canada's efforts to reach the 4.4% target were recently complicated by one factor: the global COVID‑19 pandemic. That really…

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

That definitely doesn't explain why you haven't met them because that's very recent.

Here's a factor that has had a major impact: the high refusal rate for students from African countries, most of which are francophone countries. We know the rate's the same for anglophone and francophone African countries, but, since African countries constitute a larger portion of the francophone immigration pool, it's very hard to reach the targets if there's a high refusal rate.

Then why do we deny temporary permits to so many students from those countries?

We're told that's related more to GDP. It's definitely hard to recruit more francophone immigrants if we can't solve that problem.

[Corinne Prince]

Thanks to the member for his question.

Yes, the department has seen a slightly higher rate of refusal of applications from African students.

I'm going to turn the floor over to my colleague Ms. Kingsley, who can provide a few more details.

[Michèle Kingsley]

Thanks to the member for his question on refusal rates associated with foreign students.

First of all, I would repeat that foreign students are a priority for the department for many reasons…

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

My question wasn't about foreign students.

Ms. Prince said the refusal rate was slightly higher, but when it's 80% or 95% in certain African countries, you can say it's very high.

Why do we refuse so many African students, both anglophone and francophone?

Since we know they form a francophone immigration pool, why systematically reject African students?

[Michèle Kingsley]

When we review the study permit applications submitted by students from Africa and elsewhere, each one is assessed individually based on the same criteria. Those criteria are a letter of acceptance from a designated learning institution, financial support…

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

Excuse me. You're talking about criteria, but that doesn't answer my question. There must be a criterion that systematically disqualifies African students.

One reason we repeatedly see on the ground—because temporary permits are denied in many cases involving African students—is the fear that those students may want to settle in Quebec, not just study there. At the same time, we have an international education strategy to double the number of foreign students by telling them they're eligible for permanent residence.

On the one hand, we advertise the fact that students can study in our colleges and acquire permanent residence—we see a lot of that at anglophone colleges in Quebec—while, on the other hand, we say we don't want francophone students to settle here.

There's a double standard here.

[Michèle Kingsley]

Thanks to the member for his question.

Yes, intention to leave the country at the end of the authorized stay is the third criterion. It's all right to have a dual intention, to apply for temporary residence and then permanent residence. However, there's no guarantee that permanent residence will be granted to a non-citizen seeking it.

The department must ensure that students intend, and are able, to return to their country of origin if, for any reason, they're denied permanent residence.

I don't want to seem overly technical here, but applicants are allowed to have two concurrent intentions because, under a controlled immigration model, we want to encourage certain students to stay permanently, but that isn't guaranteed for everyone. In the event students are unable to stay permanently, we have to ensure they can return home.

However, a student's declaration of a dual intention isn't a reason for refusal.

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

Yet that's what many immigration officers on the ground tell us. There's a problem…

[The Vice-Chair, Conservative, Joël Godin]

Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. Time is up.

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

I'll continue in the next round

Thank you.

[The Vice-Chair, Conservative, Joël Godin]

We will continue with Ms. Ashton.

Ms. Ashton, go ahead for six minutes.

[Niki Ashton, NDP, Churchill—Keewatinook Aski, MB]

Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.

Thanks as well to our witnesses today.

I'll begin with a question on the targets that my colleagues previously discussed.

You discussed a 4.4% target, but that's the old target for francophone immigrants. The government has failed to meet that target over the past 20 years. We have to do more than just continue with it. We need a remedial target.

Are you planning to adopt a new remedial target to erase the government's decades of failure.

[Corinne Prince]

Mr. Chair, thanks to the member for her question.

The current target for 2023 is 4.4%.

As I told another committee member, we've already established a task force that will, first, explore ways to meet the current target and, second, set a new target for 2023 and subsequent years.

So we're working closely with the francophone communities outside Quebec. We're looking at how we can catch up. We're also trying to set another, post-2023 target that will help increase the demographic weight of francophones outside Quebec.

We've also worked closely with our colleagues from the Department of Canadian Heritage. In February 2021, Minister Joly released a white paper stating that immigration was one of the factors involved in increasing the demographic weight of francophones in future both in and outside Quebec.

[Niki Ashton, NDP, Churchill—Keewatinook Aski, MB]

I'd like to ask a question that's been previously addressed in committee.

The Commissioner of Official Languages told the committee that there's a systemic problem within the Department of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, particularly with respect to foreign student recruitment.

The Commissioner confirmed that study permit applications submitted by students from certain countries, African countries in particular, were systematically denied. That's a fact of tremendous concern to us and would be to all Canadians aware of it.

How can you explain that to us?

[Corinne Prince]

Thank you very much for that question, Mr. Chair.

The applications of students from all countries around the world are very important to the department.

I'm going to hand off to my colleague Ms. Kingsley, who will provide you with more details.