Official Languages committee  That's right, and that's why we have kept the 4.4% objective. However, since we also have a more ambitious standard, we need to give ourselves more time to meet it.

Official Languages committee  Under the strategic plan, that standard was redefined. The old standard had to do with immigrants who voluntarily declared on their immigration application that they knew French or English. Of course, only in the economic class is knowledge of English or French assessed objectively and with tools.

Official Languages committee  We have covered a great deal of ground since this report was published. In 2002, further to discussions with the Commissioner of Official Languages, we included, at the outset of the process, very clear objectives in our act. We want to promote the linguistic vitality of francophone communities.

Official Languages committee  There are three very important points. First of all, the plan is very clear. Social and economic integration within all of the communities receiving these immigrants is very important. We are certainly not trying to create ghettos. Mr. Arnal said that having a critical mass creates a comfort zone, enabling immigrants to develop in their community.

Official Languages committee  At the outset, we know that 70% of immigrants—and here I'm referring to immigrants in general and not to francophone immigrants specifically—settle in the three main centres. It would appear that francophones are inclined to settle in urban areas, but not necessarily in the same numbers as immigrants in general.

Official Languages committee  Well, that is what we have been doing over the past few years when we have made targeted efforts with committees in certain population pools. As for immigrant integration, do not forget that when francophones go to work in Manitoba or Alberta, for example, English is the language of work.

Official Languages committee  All right. The integration challenges faced by immigrants in general, which are certainly as substantial as ours, as well as certain challenges peculiar to francophone immigrants, led the government to announce a significant increase in funding for integration. Excluding Ontario and Quebec, $77 million in new funding will be invested in the coming years.

Official Languages committee  First, you have to accept the fact that what we are trying to do is hard. That can be seen from your question. Mr. Arnal described the situation earlier. It is clearly not just a matter of convincing immigrants that Moncton or Saint-Boniface is going to be their destination; it's a matter of convincing them to come and stay there.

Official Languages committee  We would have to look at what impact that will have on the number of students who continue studying abroad. Usually students who study abroad try to acquire experience or study in a field where being abroad is advantageous.

Official Languages committee  That is not a question that I can answer.

Official Languages committee  You are referring to a measure that was adopted last week. You are making assumptions about the impact of this measure could be. There will still be students who will study abroad. As I said, having Canadian students study abroad and talk to people about immigrating or coming here to study is a good thing, but if you consider all of our recruiting measures, this is but a secondary one.

Official Languages committee  I will respond to your first question regarding the statement that immigrants are more mobile. The mobility rate for individuals born in Canada is 85% and this rate varies greatly from one region to another. We are making our comparison at that level. With regard to the plan and our experience of the past few years, we decided to redefine the standard on francophone immigration.

Official Languages committee  That is exactly why our forecast is for 15,000 people, instead of 10,000. If I were to tell you the number of individuals who are reporting having knowledge of French, that figure would be approximately 9,000 or 10,000 individuals.

Official Languages committee  Those who want to remain, yes.

Official Languages committee  Absolutely. It would be an excellent idea to use the networks of alumni who return to their home country. They could encourage new foreign students to come to Canada. Similarly, students who had a good experience in Canada could encourage other people to come here. Yes, such individuals could probably be used as ambassadors.