To further boost the number of French-speaking immigrants coming to Canada, Immigration Minister Marc Miller has announced a new pilot program that will start this autumn.
Francophone immigration outside of Quebec spiking 19.9 per cent last year.
The Francophone Community Immigration Pilot (FCIP) will focus on increasing the number of French-speaking newcomers settling in francophone minority communities outside of Quebec and will help ensure the economic development of francophone minority communities while also helping to restore and increase their demographic weight.
“Francophone immigration plays a crucial role in strengthening our national identity and fueling the economic growth of francophone minority communities outside Quebec,” said Immigration Minister Marc Miller.
“As we continue to face critical labour shortages in key sectors like healthcare, transportation and home building, talented newcomers are critical for our economy because they support local businesses and communities.
“The Express Entry system ensures that Canada has the skilled workers it needs to grow and succeed, while highlighting our commitment to supporting the vitality and restoring the demographic weight of Francophone minority communities.”
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Details of the FCIP have not yet been divulged.
The target set for francophone immigration outside Quebec announced last November by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) calls for six per cent of total immigration in 2024 to be francophone, seven per cent in 2025 and eight per cent in 2026.
In January this year, Ottawa announced new measures to boost francophone immigration.
These include a new francophone immigration policy, the renewal and expansion of the Welcoming Francophone Communities initiative, a new program to support francophone immigration, and the implementation of the Action Plan for Official Languages.
The new francophone immigration policy promotes the vitality and economic development of francophone minority communities through promotion and recruitment support efforts, both in Canada and abroad, particularly for specific lines of business, in order to address labour shortages.
Francophone Immigration Has Increased By More Than 500% Since 2015
Through the renewal of the Welcoming Francophone Communities initiative, 14 Canadian communities were assured they will continue to receive funding to foster the integration of French-speaking newcomers. The initiative’s expansion has also enabled the Ottawa to select up to 10 additional communities that will be able to create environments that support the economic and socio-cultural integration of French-speaking newcomers.
The newly-created Francophone Immigration Support Program funds innovative projects to eliminate barriers to francophone immigration and makes it easier for francophone minority communities to participate in international promotion initiatives and support and recruit French-speaking candidates.
“With the modernized Official Languages Act and the Action Plan 2023 – 2028, which has been in effect since this autumn, our government is implementing the necessary mechanisms and investments to achieve targets that are both ambitious and essential,” said Official Languages Minister Randy Boissonnault.
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The latest IRCC data reveals that 19,645 francophones became new permanent residents of Canada outside of Quebec last year, up from 16,380 in 2022.
Since 2015 when francophone immigration outside of Quebec resulted in only 2,995 new permanent residents, francophone immigration has soared by 555.6 per cent.
Ottawa’s target of 4.4 per cent French-speaking resident admissions outside Quebec was surpassed in December 2023, reaching approximately 4.7 per cent from January to December that year.