Canada introduces an action plan to attract French speaking immigrants. The new Action Plan includes $1.4 billion over five years in addition to the $2.7 billion in the previous Action Plan. This adds up to over $4.1 billion over five years. It is the largest amount ever provided by a government to support official languages.
The Action Plan includes four main priorities:
- Accelerate the restoration of the demographic weight of Francophones through Francophone immigration
- Promote lifelong learning opportunities for our two official languages
- Support the vitality of official-language minority communities
- Build on positive government action to support communities
The government says the new operational framework policy will help boost Francophone immigration and facilitate settlement and integration of French-speaking or bilingual immigrants in Francophone minority communities.
Canada’s government has a mandate to promote and protect the status of both official languages, English and French. According to the Official Languages Act, there are three objectives:
- Ensure respect for English and French as the official languages of Canada and ensure equality of status and equal rights and privileges as to their use in all federal institutions
- Support the development of English and French linguistic minority communities and advance the equality of status and use of the English and French languages within Canadian society
- Set out the powers, duties and functions of federal institutions with respect to the official languages of Canada.
Immigration Canada has the responsibility for attracting and retaining French speaking immigrants to help build and support French-speaking communities outside of Quebec.
