回复: ZT移民部长称不会讲英语或法语的移民将不获公民身份
移民部长要求移民在语言上下更大功夫
【多伦多在线】加拿大移民部长康尼（Jason Kenney）周五在卡加利一个移民问题会议上表示，加国需要加强融合新移民的努力，其中包括要求移民在语言上下更大功夫。
他举例说，他1月份在印度德里现场观察了一些移民面试，碰到一名在加国生活了15年，成为加国公民近12年的妇女，想申请其配偶来加国，却无法以任何一种加国官方语言完成面试。他说：「这让我不禁疑问 - 这是否个别案例？遗憾的是，我不认为它太个别。」
康尼后来对记者表示，移民系统需要大举整改，其中一个关键部分是确保加国移民及那些想成为公民者，英语或法语能够运用自如。他表示，这个要求实际上早已有之，只是执行得不够严格。他还表示，公民入籍方面，如果一个人无法以其中一种官方语言完成考试，「你就不应该成为公民，我不认为这太苛刻」。这等于说，「回去提高学习，等可以用其中一种语言交往后再来找我们」。
康尼担心，在不保证语言技能的前提下授予公民资格，会使加国新公民在经济和社会上处于不利地位。他还想知道，一些对加国任何一种官方语言都一窍不通的人，如何通过这个系统的。
他说：「我所能说的就是，如果人们无法用英语或法语完成移民面试，他们连基本的能力也没有。我听一些入籍法官说，经常有些人没有语言能力，但也被允许通过。」
已拨款扩大语言训练
康尼周五透过电子邮件，回覆本报查询有关他在卡加利说，英语或法语讲得不好的移民，不应让他们入籍的言论时表示：「我只是关注只有25%的新移民使用联邦语言训练项目，政府正探讨方法，增加受惠移民的数目。」他又说，官方语言的能力不是移民加国的要求，但有这方面的能力，对计分制下的申请人有利。
他说，哈珀政府已透过额外拨款14亿元作移民安顿服务，以弥补自由党过往忽略这问题。而这笔额外拨款的大部分都已用作扩大官方语言训练，为永久居民提供免费服务。
今天移民部长康尼（Jason Kenney）重申他的原意如下:
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 response from newcomers. Are there new ways we should consider 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 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. "
移民部长要求移民在语言上下更大功夫
【多伦多在线】加拿大移民部长康尼（Jason Kenney）周五在卡加利一个移民问题会议上表示，加国需要加强融合新移民的努力，其中包括要求移民在语言上下更大功夫。
他举例说，他1月份在印度德里现场观察了一些移民面试，碰到一名在加国生活了15年，成为加国公民近12年的妇女，想申请其配偶来加国，却无法以任何一种加国官方语言完成面试。他说：「这让我不禁疑问 - 这是否个别案例？遗憾的是，我不认为它太个别。」
康尼后来对记者表示，移民系统需要大举整改，其中一个关键部分是确保加国移民及那些想成为公民者，英语或法语能够运用自如。他表示，这个要求实际上早已有之，只是执行得不够严格。他还表示，公民入籍方面，如果一个人无法以其中一种官方语言完成考试，「你就不应该成为公民，我不认为这太苛刻」。这等于说，「回去提高学习，等可以用其中一种语言交往后再来找我们」。
康尼担心，在不保证语言技能的前提下授予公民资格，会使加国新公民在经济和社会上处于不利地位。他还想知道，一些对加国任何一种官方语言都一窍不通的人，如何通过这个系统的。
他说：「我所能说的就是，如果人们无法用英语或法语完成移民面试，他们连基本的能力也没有。我听一些入籍法官说，经常有些人没有语言能力，但也被允许通过。」
已拨款扩大语言训练
康尼周五透过电子邮件，回覆本报查询有关他在卡加利说，英语或法语讲得不好的移民，不应让他们入籍的言论时表示：「我只是关注只有25%的新移民使用联邦语言训练项目，政府正探讨方法，增加受惠移民的数目。」他又说，官方语言的能力不是移民加国的要求，但有这方面的能力，对计分制下的申请人有利。
他说，哈珀政府已透过额外拨款14亿元作移民安顿服务，以弥补自由党过往忽略这问题。而这笔额外拨款的大部分都已用作扩大官方语言训练，为永久居民提供免费服务。
今天移民部长康尼（Jason Kenney）重申他的原意如下:
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 response from newcomers. Are there new ways we should consider 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 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. "
