Posted on 2011-10-19

Questions asked by Senator Suzanne Fortin-Duplessis on October 19, 2011.

Proceedings of the Standing Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Trade

First Session, Forty-first Parliament, 2011

Chair: The Honourable A. RAYNELL ANDREYCHUK

Wednesday, October 19, 2011
Thursday, October 20, 2011

Issue No. 3

Fifth and sixth meetings on:

Study on the political and economic developments in Brazil

• Minutes of Proceedings
• Transcript (Evidence) of Proceedings – October 19, 2011 (105K)
• Transcript (Evidence) of Proceedings – October 20, 2011 (130K)

WITNESSES

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Citizenship and Immigration Canada:

David Manicom, Director General, Immigration Branch;

Sharon Chomyn, Director General, International Region.

Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA):

Peter Hill, Director General, Post-Border Programs;

Geoff Leckey, Director General, Intelligence and Targeting Operations.

Association of Universities and Colleges Canada:

Paul Davidson, President and CEO.

Association of Canadian Community Colleges:

Marie-Josée Fortin, Director, International Partnerships.

Thursday, October 20, 2011

Canadian Commercial Corporation (CCC):

Martin Zablocki, Executive Vice President, Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer;

Joanne Lostracco, Manager, Strategic Policy and Government Relations;

Alexander Jeglic, Legal Counsel.

Bombardier Inc.:

George Haynal, Vice President, International and Government Affairs.

HB Global Advisors Corp.:

Michael Woods, Partner;

Élie Ducharme, articling student.

LED Roadway Lighting Ltd:

Charles (Chuck) Cartmill, President and Chief Executive Officer.

MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE

The Honourable A. Raynell Andreychuk, Chair

The Honourable Percy E. Downe, Deputy Chair

and

The Honourable Senators:

*Cowan (or Tardif), De Bané, P.C., Duffy, Finley, Fortin-Duplessis, Johnson, *LeBreton, P.C. (or Carignan), Mahovlich, Mockler, Robichaud, P.C., Smith, P.C. (Cobourg), Wallin

* Ex officio members

(Quorum 4)

Changes in membership of the committee:

Pursuant to rule 85(4), membership of the committee was amended as follows:

The Honourable Senator Mockler replaced the Honourable Senator Segal (October 19, 2011).

The Honourable Senator Duffy replaced the Honourable Senator Nolin (October 19, 2011).

The Honourable Senator Wallin replaced the Honourable Senator Stratton (October 19, 2011).

The Honourable Senator Segal replaced the Honourable Senator Poirier (October 19, 2011).

The Honourable Senator Stratton replaced the Honourable Senator Wallin (October 19, 2011).

The Honourable Senator Poirier replaced the Honourable Senator Segal (October 18, 2011).

Senator Fortin-Duplessis: I very much appreciate the information you have given us. I would like to know, once a visa has expired, whether some Brazilians wish to remain in Canada? If so, what means does Canada have for finding them and deporting them, that is, the ones who stay past the expiry date? And how do these means compare with those of the U.S.?

Mr. Hill: I have some key statistics with respect to removals regarding Brazilians. Between 2000 up until October of this year, the CBSA has removed approximately 1,326 cases. Of these removals, 969 are failed refugee claimants, and the remaining 357 individuals did not make a claim for refugee protection. Of the global number of approximately 1,326 removals, 75 have been identified as criminals, and 25 of those individuals were also failed refugee claimants.

To put this into further perspective, so far this year we have removed 70 Brazilians. Of this, 48 were refugee claimants and 22 were non-refugee claimants. The total of the criminal cases within that was 8 criminal cases.

I do not have the data with me with respect to the comparison to the United States. I could undertake to try to obtain that information and provide that to the committee. Have I answered all of your questions?

Senator Fortin-Duplessis: I would ask you one other thing in this regard. I do not know whether you have this among your figures. I asked about those who could have been sent back; did you accept any of them, and how many?

Mr. Hill: Accepted in what way?

Senator Fortin-Duplessis: I do not know. If, once their visas had expired, people asked to remain in Canada and become Canadian citizens — I do not mean refugees — have you let any of them stay, people who were just fine? If they applied to stay in Canada, did you accept any of them? You gave us figures for those who were rejected.

Ms. Chomyn: I am sorry, but I do not believe that information is available. I am happy to pursue that with the department to see if we can get that information for you, but I do not believe that kind of information is collected.

The Chair: I would appreciate it if you would see if you can get that information and provide it to the clerk to circulate to the members.

…

Senator Fortin-Duplessis: You mentioned students. I have a question. I would like to know, when a student applies for a visa, does he also apply for a visa for his family, if he is married, when he wants to come and study here?

Ms. Chomyn: Yes, there is that possibility.

Senator Fortin-Duplessis: That is when you check that he has enough money to support his family once he gets to Canada, and to pay for his studies?

Ms. Chomyn: That is correct.

…

Senator Fortin-Duplessis: I would like to ask whether one of you can answer a question about Brazilian businesses. Are Brazilian businesses associated with the world of education? And my second question: do Brazilian businesses invest in the faculties?

Ms. Fortin: The way it’s organized, the federal institutions report to the government, so there is not really any investment in the institutions on the part of the private sector. Still, they work with the private sector. But there are SENACs, which are other institutions that are managed by the private sector. There is close cooperation, as there is here, between the government, the institutions, the educational milieu and the private sector.

And I would like to point out that there are a lot of businesses, especially in the mining sector, such as Rio Tinto, Alcan, and Vale, that work in both countries and with whom we have close relations between our institutions in Canada, the institutions in Brazil and the production sector.

Actually, Rio Tinto asked to have some Brazilian students as trainees under our agreement.

Senator Fortin-Duplessis: I suppose to train them in engineering.

Mr. Davidson: I would like to add this. This is the reason why we are happy that Jacynthe Côté, the CEO of Rio Tinto Alcan was on the expert panel that the government set up on the international education strategy.

Mr. Davidson: We are very pleased about that. To pick up on the Rio Tinto example, we often think of research happening only in a few institutions. However at the University of Quebec at Chicoutimi, Rio Tinto Alcan has been an established partner. That institution, in conjunction with the NRC facility in Chicoutimi, is a world leader. Brazilian researchers want to come and work in Chicoutimi and at the same time, those from Chicoutimi want to work in Brazil. That is the kind of research collaboration we envisage in working in a strategic way with Brazil.

Senator Fortin-Duplessis: My final question follows on Senator Smith’s. You explained that Canada seems to be an excellent destination for Brazilian students. Do you know how many Brazilian students want to go and study in other countries? Do you have any figures on that? You said that Canada is a favoured destination, but how do we rank compared with other OECD countries, the United States and Australia? Do you have any student percentages?

Mr. Davidson: I would be happy to provide written information of the details. I can say that — in the example of university students from Brazil in Canada right now — we have approximately 100,000 international students studying in Canada, but only 500 from Brazil.

To look at another part of the puzzle, we know that there are 17,000 Brazilians students coming to study English or French in Canada at the language schools. We are hopeful this new international education strategy will look at how we ensure there is a pathway from the first language experiences to the college experience and to a university experience. That is a question of alignment, purpose, and working together to advance Canada.

Senator Fortin-Duplessis: We would certainly appreciate having the statistics, if you can send them to us because they might be useful when it comes time to write the report. Thank you very much.

• Transcript (Evidence) of Proceedings – October 19, 2011 (105K)