Rabat – In a bid to benefit more from skilled migrants, while consolidating its reputation for easing socio-professional integration for migrants, Canada is planning to appeal to more international, French speaking students.
If, as a Moroccan student, you are proficient in French and you plan to pursue your academic training in Canada and subsequently launch your professional career in the North American country, there is good news for you. Canada is embracing students with similar profiles, as it plans to open its schools and labor market to a larger pool of young, French-speaking candidates.
In an announcement published on its official website on August 30, the Canadian government declared its goal of attracting more students from Morocco and Senegal. The move, the announcement explained, is part of the government’s policy of appealing to thousands of French-speaking students.
“Canada is making the Student Direct Stream (SDS) available to international students coming from Senegal and Morocco, starting September 9, 2019,” began the statement by the Canadian government. “By providing fast, reliable processing of study permit applications, Canada is better equipped to compete in attracting the best and the brightest from around the world.”
The announcement comes six months after Canada unveiled its Francophone Immigration Strategy, a policy designed to attract Francophone students to Canada as a “top destination” for studies and socio-professional integration.
“Expanding this faster and more efficient application process to prospective students from Senegal and Morocco supports the Government’s Francophone Immigration Strategy to encourage more young French speakers to choose to study in Canada,” noted the statement.
With its effectively bilingual professional and academic environments, as well as its global, solid reputation for being a successful model of multiculturalism, Canada takes enormous pride in leading the global dance for intercultural dialogue and exchanges on a daily basis between citizens or (international) students with different social, economic, or religious backgrounds.
For international students, the government’s announcement suggested, with Canada’s multicultural reputation in mind, the North American country presents unique learning and professional and academic growth opportunities.
The country offers international students “a high-quality international education and employment in their field of study once they graduate, ” in addition to providing ample opportunities to secure “permanent residence through Express Entry.”
The encouraging statements from the Canadian government are not empty, outsized marketing slogans, the type that often bend the daily experience of international students just to attract even more of them. The positive, laudatory appraisal suggested by the government’ announcement has precedence.
On August 13, OECD reported that “Canada has the most comprehensive and elaborate migration system.” The OECD report elaborated, “Canada boasts the largest share of highly educated immigrants in the OECD as well as high levels of public acceptance of migration. In addition, it is seen as an appealing country of destination for potential migrants.”
Commenting on the rationale behind Canada’s policy to attract students from Morocco and Senegal, Ahmed Hussen, Canada’s Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, put forth the country’s hope, and goal of cementing its global leadership on matters of successful migration and multicultural policies.
Hussen echoed OECD’s finding: “Canada’s diverse, welcoming society, high-quality educational institutions and opportunities to work or immigrate after graduation have made Canada a leading destination of choice for students from around the world.
“In expanding the Student Direct Stream to a more diverse range of prospective students, we’re enhancing the tremendous cultural, social and economic benefits that international students provide.”
