OTTAWA – To improve the French Language in Canada and protect the country’s cultural identity, the Liberal government is looking forward to increased francophone immigration.
Recently the government realize a new policy which was laid out for a 5-year action plan for official languages. The plan comes as the Liberals update to the official languages act is debated at the House of Commons.
Ginette Petitpas Taylor, official languages minister says, if we address the decline in French, we really have to make sure that we recruit francophone immigrants when it comes to bilingual workers, we recognize that there is a Labour force shortage.
Canada planes to recruit French speaking people from Europe, the Middle East, Africa and the Americans, and settle them in Francophone minority communities in Canada.
Quedec, is not included since it has a control over its own immigration program. According to Petitpas Taylor, she said that at midnight parents wake up and want to be the first in line to enroll their children in French immersion.
The government is also looking forward to attract French speaking teachers so the communities have good access to French language education including early childhood programs, French immersion programs and post- secondary learning.
There is a strong determination, as parents want their children to speak both official languages.
Beginning of this year the immigration citizenship and refugees in Canada reached a target to assure that minimum of 4.4% of immigrants settling outside of Quebec are French speakers.
Sean Fraser, immigration minister said it’s important for francophone minority communities to experience the benefits of immigration. He also mentioned that they care about the ability to raise their families in the languages of their choice.
According to statistics, Canadian data from 2021 census, in 1971 the proportion of francophones in the population outside Quebec fell from 6.1% to 3.5% in 2021.
Justin Trudeau, the prime minister said he recognized the governments plan is “ambitious” but he also said that it recognized the important social, economic and cultural value of official languages while focusing on results.
Dissemination of scientific information in French, communities that are facing labor shortages provide access to justice in both languages, increasing bilingual health workers and supporting the creation, initiatives are taken to increase these facilities.
To increase the educational offerings the plan lays out money for territories and provinces, as well as money for art and culture. Trudeau Said this new action plan will continue growth of French and English across our country.
