Canada has announced new measures to support the Francophone immigration programme outside Quebec to promote the vitality of minority communities and meet labour needs across the country.

“These measures 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—and they will all strengthen the presence of French in Canada,” said a press release by the government.

Immigration Minister Marc Miller also addressed a press conference where he gave an update about the programme.

The new policy would boost the demographic weight of such communities. It is based on a series of measures such as promotion and recruitment support efforts, both in Canada and abroad, particularly for specific lines of business, in order to address labour shortages.

The policy would also oversee the development of a new programme and new measures dedicated to Francophone economic immigration.

As many as 14 Canadian communities would continue to receive funding to promote the integration of French-speaking newcomers with the renewal of the Welcoming Francophone Communities initiative.

It would help the government to pick up to 10 additional communities that would, in turn, be able to create environments that support the economic and socio-cultural integration of French-speaking newcomers.

The new Francophone Immigration Support Program would fund innovative projects to eliminate barriers to Francophone immigration.

The government has allocated over $137 million for such plans as part of the Government of Canada’s Action Plan for Official Languages 2023-2028.

The target of 4.4.% French-speaking resident admissions outside Quebec was surpassed in December 2023, reaching approximately 4.7% from January to December 2023, according to the currently available statistical data.