Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Good afternoon, everyone.
I would first like to thank you for inviting the Assemblée de la francophonie de l'Ontario to appear before you as part of your work on francophone immigration to Canada. As an organization, we represent nearly 744,000 Franco‑Ontarians.
I would also like to mention that I'm accompanied today by the AFO's executive director, Peter Hominuk, and our policy analyst, Bryan Michaud.
We are pleased to see that the Government of Canada recognizes the importance of francophone immigration to Canada. The survival of the Franco‑Ontarian community depends greatly on the immigration of French‑speaking people.
In addition, I would like to highlight the progress proposed in Bill C‑13. The legislation specifies that the policy must include a target and accountability measures. It would be worthwhile to amend it to clarify the specific objective of the new policy. The legislation doesn't do what the government says it will do on immigration.
In recent years, we have seen initiatives that have had a positive impact on welcoming and retaining newcomers. The reception for francophones at Pearson Airport, improvements to the Express Entry system and the designation of three welcoming francophone communities have had interesting effects in Ontario.
However, there is still work to be done. That's why we're taking this opportunity to highlight some of the challenges facing the Franco‑Ontarian community, since francophone immigration targets have still not been met in Ontario and across the country. In addition, we see that study permits are being denied to international students, especially those from Africa.
A few weeks ago, our university presidents testified before the Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration. They pointed out that Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada refused nearly 70% of study permit applications to those wishing to study at French‑language post‑secondary institutions in Ontario. One of the reasons given by the officers who assess the applications is that they did not consider the fact that they wanted to study in French outside Quebec to be an acceptable path.
At a time when we are witnessing the implementation and transformation of francophone universities in Ontario, this type of argument is counterproductive to what we are trying to accomplish in our province. Our universities, in addition to serving francophones and francophiles here, are powerful recruitment tools for francophone immigration. The French‑language post‑secondary pathway in Ontario is valid, and recognized and endorsed by the governments of Canada and Ontario.
The argument made by IRCC officers is a slap in the face to our community and to all students attending our post‑secondary institutions. Furthermore, it would appear that many students are being denied visas because they have expressed a desire to work in Canada after they complete their studies. Francophone immigration nourishes and enriches our communities, and increases the francophone labour pool.
We are currently experiencing a shortage of francophone workers in Ontario, exacerbated by the pandemic, and we believe that welcoming francophone international students to our institutions is an important part of the solution.
Francophone international students who attend our institutions receive Canadian expertise and strengthen our official language minority communities. The training offered in Ontario would ensure successful professional, economic, social and cultural integration should they decide to apply for permanent residence. Their success is a key element to the vitality of Ontario's francophone community and to the future of the province.
The current pandemic has taken a toll on immigration across the country. This situation is even more acute in the francophone minority context in Ontario. The province has set a francophone immigration target of 5%, and the federal government has set a target of 4.4% outside Quebec. It's clear that these two targets are far from being met.
In the third quarter of 2021, in the midst of a pandemic, Ontario welcomed just over 2% of francophone immigrants. This alarming statistic applies to Canada as a whole. However, Ontario had reached 4.09% in 2020, which was encouraging.
For some years, the province of Ontario has been selecting more than 5% of French-speaking immigrants through its single immigration program, the Ontario immigrant nominee program. We are of the opinion that the federal government should give the Government of Ontario the power to select more immigrants through the Ontario immigrant nominee program. In return, the province should commit to continue selecting at least 5% of the French-speaking candidates.
Thank you.