Official Languages committee  The government must invest more, as there are not enough services in remote areas. We mentioned that we have no IRCC office, which is a problem. The communities must be given resources; they need them.

Official Languages committee  Prior learning recognition is [technical difficulties], as we have been able to see here. I would not hesitate to say that people who come here are often poorly assessed, but there is still a concern as far as the assessment goes, especially when it comes to prior learning recognition and skill transfer.

Official Languages committee  As you could see when I shared the numbers with you, people who come to Sudbury do so primarily for access to education. That is a primary role for us because it is a tool that helps us attract international students and permanent residents. We are talking about relocation. People who come here end up mostly in large centres, such as Toronto or Montreal.

Official Languages committee  These offices are very important. In northern Ontario, many people come from sub-Saharan Africa. However, when they arrive here, they must go through an obstacle course, as there are no visa offices or pre-departure services in their respective countries. Sometimes, people from West Africa must travel to Senegal, where the only office is located.

Official Languages committee  Absolutely. We are indeed realizing that this is a barrier. Very interesting people come here, start to contribute to the development of our francophone community and become essential players. Those people give us hope, but unfortunately, once they earn their degree, they can no longer contribute to our community and bring that fresh perspective and that warmth.

Official Languages committee  It is very important. I usually say that Sudbury is the capital of the north. We are surrounded by a number of towns and we are working really hard to attract newcomers. We realize that the process international students seeking permanent residence have to follow forces them to drive for hours.

Official Languages committee  That would be really good, but as part of [technical difficulties]. We have noted that we are really struggling. We are in a minority situation, and we would need referencing. We are actually losing a lot of francophones we welcome here because our services may not be visible enough.

Official Languages committee  Good afternoon. I am Moïse Zahoui, immigration services coordinator with the Centre de santé communautaire du Grand Sudbury. Thank you for this opportunity to talk to you about our local reality. The Centre de santé communautaire du Grand Sudbury is also the lead agent for the Welcoming Francophone Communities initiative in Sudbury, in addition to being a service provider for newcomers.