Hon. Amina Gerba: Honourable senators, the Conference Board of Canada’s recent report The Leaky Bucket 2024 paints a worrying picture. Canada, a country of immigration par excellence, is seeing a growing number of immigrants leave.

Two key findings emerged from this report.

The first is that one in five immigrants leaves Canada within 25 years and over one-third, or 34%, leave within the first five years.

The second is that economic immigrants, especially former international students, are the most likely to leave the country, even though these talented people are essential for filling labour shortages in key sectors.

The report also highlights an alarming statistic for Quebec and the long-term survival of French, namely, that 35% of francophone immigrants do not stay in Canada over the long term. This jeopardizes not only our linguistic diversity, but also our ability to build a future where the French language remains a pillar of our national identity. This phenomenon reveals a structural weakness in our reception and integration policies. It also greatly jeopardizes everything associated with settlement in Canada in the early years.

The early years are crucial for newcomers. What we are seeing today is a result of a lack of targeted support. It is urgent that the federal government adopt a consistent, proactive approach to retaining immigrants. That involves improving integration policies upon arrival, even before settlement, as well as strengthening support for economic immigrants, particularly francophones. Finally, there is a need for more coordination between the provinces and the federal government to create strategies adapted to every region.

Immigrant retention is fundamental to economic prosperity, social justice and the preservation of our values. Let’s take action now. Thank you.