Canada's social safety net has been so degraded since the Chretien-Martin era that it's difficult to justify giving any particular marginalized group a hand up without risking valid criticism that others, including many born in this country, are simply being ignored. As for English being a difficult language, it's the modern world's preferred "lingua franca" and is the globe's most commonly spoken second language, followed by French. It's not like we're expecting refugees or immigrants to learn an obscure language.