Prime Minister Justin Trudeau ensures that he is carrying out “a detailed examination” of the impact that the criteria of federal programs have on the composition of immigration. Referring to the massive refusal of French-speaking African students, he said “that these reports are particularly worrying” during question period in the House of Commons on Wednesday.
The duty recently revealed that the refusal rates of study permits for the countries of the Maghreb and West Africa continue to climb. Some candidates who meet all the criteria are thus prevented from continuing their studies in Quebec.
Mr. Trudeau responded Wednesday to the intervention of the leader of the Bloc Québécois, Yves-François Blanchet. Under the “pretext” that immigration officials do not believe that these students will return home after their studies, they are refused, he criticized: “It is a serious trial of intent. A form of discrimination to be denounced, which harms trade and the development of Africa, ”added Mr. Blanchet, urging the government to intervene.
“We will not tolerate any systemic discrimination”, retorted the Prime Minister, recalling that he recognized that there is “in all our institutions across the country”. The detailed examination of the impacts of immigration programs will serve to ensure that all applicants are treated “fairly”, he argued.
The refusal rate for all countries of origin is also much higher in the province than in the rest of Canada, a phenomenon that concerns the entire Quebec political class. It is “unacceptable” that Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) “deprives us of French-speaking African students corresponding in every way to the immigrant profile that we wish to attract to Quebec, in particular to develop our regions, support our CEGEPs. and compensate […] the labor shortage, ”notably wrote on Twitter the member of the Parti Québécois Méganne Perry Melançon.
Documented issues
The new federal Minister of Immigration, Sean Fraser, also promised last week to verify “personally” that the unconscious prejudices of the officials of his own ministry do not ensure to discriminate the French-speaking Africans wishing to come to study in the country.
A federal report released in October revealed that his department faces problems of racism within its bureaucracy itself. Public servants would use overtly racist clichés in their conversations, and prejudices would guide hires and promotions.
IRCC also still fails to meet the targets set for the reception of French-speaking immigrants in Quebec and outside Quebec, Mr. Fraser also recalled, despite the labor shortage in the country.
On Tuesday, a new report by the Commissioner of Official Languages, Raymond Théberge, gave a layer of it: Canada should have admitted at least 75,839 more Francophone immigrants outside Quebec since 2008 to maintain the demographic weight of French in majority provinces. English-speaker.
In Quebec, the main recruitment pools for French-speaking African students face study permit refusal rates of over 80%. France often tops the list of countries of origin for foreign students. Since 2018, however, it has traded first with India, from where the majority of nationals instead choose to pursue studies in English.