Question Period Note - Centre for Innovation in Francophone Immigration

Date: September 27, 2023

Classification: Unclassified

Department: IRCC

Issue:

Centre for innovation in Francophone immigration mandate

Proposed Response:

• Between May and August 2022, Canadian Heritage led consultations on the renewal of the Official Languages Action Plan. During those consultations, Francophone stakeholders expressed the need to be more involved in the entire immigration continuum, from promotion and recruitment to retention, in addition to the existing settlement and integration services.
• On November 10, 2022, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) announced a new Centre for Innovation in Francophone Immigration (the Centre) in Dieppe, New Brunswick.
• The Centre is one of seven measures that IRCC proposed in the new Action Plan for Official Languages 2023-2028: Protection-Promotion-Collaboration, launched on April 26, 2023.
• The federal Budget 2023 provides $25M over five years to create the Centre for Innovation in Francophone Immigration and to deliver a grants and contributions program.
  Although this centre is located in New Brunswick, it has a national mandate.
• The Centre seeks to reduce barriers to Francophone immigration by strengthening the application of a Francophone lens in candidate selection programs and making immigration programs more accessible to French-speaking immigrants. The Centre supports the Department’s goals to increase the number of admissions of French-speaking candidates, foster the demographic weight of Francophone minority communities (FMCs), including their economic development and vitality.
• The Centre reinforces the Department’s partnership with FMCs by facilitating their participation in the promotion of FMCs internationally, and the identification, support and recruitment of French-speaking immigrants.
• The Centre is also an avenue to bring together partners and facilitate the testing of innovative ideas and projects as well as sharing lessons learned and best practices.

Contact:
Yves Saint Germain
A/Director General, Francophone Immigration Branch
Tel. No.: 613-436-6232

Approved by:
Catherine Scott
Assistant Deputy Minister, Settlement and Integration Sector
Tel. No.: 613-316-6421

Background:

• The Department recognizes the need to innovate and do things differently to support Francophone immigration, not only in Atlantic Canada, but also across the country (outside Quebec).
• As such, the Centre for Innovation in Francophone Immigration will be national in scope and will help to make immigration programs more accessible to increase the number of French-speaking candidates selected; better meet the need for a bilingual workforce; and, support international promotion efforts to attract and recruit French-speaking candidates in our labour market.
• There is a strong rationale to establish the Centre in New Brunswick, the only bilingual province, with ambitious targets in Francophone immigration. In addition, a physical presence for six new IRCC resources will favour building collaborative relationships with intergovernmental and community partners.
• Starting early in 2024, a new grants and contributions program in support of Francophone immigration will be accessible for the Centre to fulfill its mandate.
• This new grants and contributions program will allow the Department to fund projects in the area of promotion and selection. Specifically, the program will support the involvement of FMCs in the implementation of innovative projects in order to address barriers with regard to the promotion of FMCs internationally and the recruitment of French-speaking candidates – leading toward increasing French-speaking uptakes.
• The Centre also houses outreach officers to enhance the promotion of Francophone immigration and engage with Canadian employers, economic development partners and community organizations. These officers will also promote the new grants and contributions program and support recipients in navigating immigration programs. A wide range of promotional and engagement activities will serve to raise awareness among employers and partners in the Atlantic and across Canada. 

Additional Information on Activities that the Centre for Innovation in Francophone Immigration May Fund

The proposed programming has three streams:

1) Collaborative selection projects

[Redacted]

2) Promotion of Francophone minority communities internationally

[Redacted]

3) Case studies, innovation and applied research

[Redacted]