20090322/加移民部长为“讲不好官方语言不能入加籍”辩解

Statement by Minister Jason Kenney on Immigration and Official Languages

Today, the Hon. Jason Kenney, PC, MP, Minister of Citizenship, Immigration, and Multiculturalism issued the following statement:

“Yesterday I delivered a speech to the 11th Annual Metropolis Conference. In it, I spoke about how the federal government can do more to promote the social and economic integration of new Canadians.

My speech addressed a number of issues: improving foreign credentials recognition, ensuring the federal multiculturalism program is more closely aligned with the needs of newcomers, and increasing the uptake of immigrant settlement services among new Canadians.

I explained how our government has invested an additional $1.4 billion in immigrant settlement programs. This includes funding for free English and French language training. I pointed out, however, that only 25% of newcomers are using the free language training programs, and that this is proof that the government needs to do more to encourage newcomers to learn an official language.

Unfortunately, certain media outlets have mischaracterised my remarks, accusing the government of planning to “overhaul” the immigration system to require immigrants to be fluent in an official language. This is simply not true.

Let me be clear: Immigrants who are not conversant in an official language can immigrate to Canada, although the ability to speak an official language is obviously an advantage under the points system. And the Citizenship Act already requires a basic ability to communicate in an official language, and has done so for decades. I did not propose, and am not proposing, any changes to this requirement, nor to the exemption for applicants under the age of 18 or over the age of 55.

Put simply, the focus of my speech was to discuss how we need to do more to empower newcomers to make greater use of the free language training programs that our government is funding.”

Here are some quotations from yesterday’s speech and the news conference that followed:

“Again I think we need to look at ways to encourage people to improve their language skills before they even arrive here. That’s the best head start they can get in finding a good job and getting a bright future in Canada.”

“Government policy has recognized the importance of language. Programs such as LINC as well as our enhanced language training and Bridge to Work programs give newcomers in Canada access to programs that aim to develop language skills. Only 25% of newcomers to Canada actually enroll in the free LINC programs that we offer to permanent residents prior to citizenship. Why is the response so low and what can we do to address it? Are the language training programs we support responding as much as possible to the needs of newcomers? We’re working to address these issues and I really look forward to input that you can provide. In the first Speech from the Throne following the last election, our government promised to work with the provinces to increase uptake in settlement services. Since 2006 we’ve substantially increased, more than tripling funding to settlement programs to the tune of an additional $1.4 billion over five years in provinces and territories outside Quebec to reach roughly the per capita funding for Quebec. So the funding is there but I still have questions about the actual response from newcomers. Are there new ways we should consider to better encourage the use of settlement programs such as language training?”

“Last January I was visiting our High Commission in New Delhi. I sat in on a few immigration interviews. I encountered a woman who has lived in Canada for nearly 15 years, been a Canadian citizen for nearly 12 years who lives and works in Surrey. This lady was sponsoring a spouse to come to Canada but she could not conduct the immigration interview with the Canadian official in either of our official languages. She had to conduct the interview through a Punjabi translator, which made me wonder. Is this an isolated example? Regrettably I don’t believe it’s isolated enough. Regrettably it’s too typical I believe of our failure to give people an opportunity to integrate. ”

Contact:

Julie Carmichael
Press Secretary, Office of the Hon Jason Kenney, PC, MP
[email protected]