Commissioners Fraser and Boileau Call on Governments to Act so That Francophone Communities Benefit Fully From Immigration

OTTAWA, ONTARIO and TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwired - Nov. 18, 2014) - The Commissioner of Official Languages of Canada, Graham Fraser, and Ontario's French Language Services Commissioner, François Boileau, today issued a joint report highlighting the need for the federal and provincial governments to include a Francophone perspective in their immigration policies and programs.

"We hope to see tangible actions and a commitment by the governments to ensure that, in Francophone communities, immigration becomes the powerful development tool that it already is in the two majority language communities," said Commissioner Fraser.

Titled Time to Act for the Future of Francophone Communities: Redressing the Immigration Imbalance, the report paints a picture of immigration to Francophone communities, examines the current situation and presents a pan-Canadian analysis. The report also provides a series of recommendations for both levels of government.

"The Government of Ontario has set a 5% target for Francophone immigration. To achieve that goal, the federal and provincial governments must take meaningful steps to increase Francophone immigration to Ontario so that newcomers can contribute to the vitality and the social, economic and cultural development of the Franco-Ontarian community," indicated Commissioner Boileau.

According to the commissioners, Francophone community representatives are concerned about the impact of changes to Canada's immigration system. Consequently, they are urging the federal government and its provincial and territorial partners to take advantage of the opportunities created by the new federal immigration system, including "Express Entry," in order to transform immigration into a truly positive force for Francophone communities.

In the commissioners' view, Francophone immigration programs must be flexible and take into account the unique characteristics of the various Francophone communities and the needs of the provinces. The various players must step up their efforts and take targeted measures to ensure that Francophone minority communities truly benefit from immigration.