LANG Committee Report

Government Response to the
Report of the Standing Committee
on Official Languages

Immigration as a Tool for the
Development of Official Language
Minority Communities

October 2003

Introduction

The Government has attentively studied the report of the Standing Committee on Official Languages. It unreservedly recognizes the importance of immigration for the development of official language minority communities, as demonstrated by the Action Plan for Official Languages announced in March 2003. The Action Plan allocates funding of $9 million over five years to Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC), earmarked for the development of official language minority communities. CIC had already begun to consider the issue; that process led to the creation of the Citizenship and Immigration Canada-Francophone Minority Communities Steering Committee (CIC-FMC Steering Committee) in March 2002. CIC also reaffirmed its commitment to the communities by including support for the development and vitality of official language minority communities among the objectives of the new Immigration and Refugee Protection Act.

Most of the recommendations are consistent with the views of the CIC-FMC Steering Committee and some are already being addressed. The Steering Committee has considered ways to increase the number of French-speaking immigrants settling in Francophone minority communities, and to facilitate their reception and integration into the communities. In the fall of 2003, it will release the results of its work in the form of a strategic framework to foster immigration to Francophone minority communities. This framework, developed in partnership with the communities, will guide the action plans that will be developed by national and provincial/territorial stakeholders from the government and community sectors. The initiatives in the action plans will therefore be the product of consultation among all stakeholders.

The development of Francophone minority communities does not only require the cooperation of CIC, it necessitates the collaboration of other federal departments and agencies, and partnerships with provincial/territorial governments and the communities themselves. This is reflected in some of the recommendations. To better coordinate initiatives, other federal and provincial/territorial departments have been invited to join the CIC-FMC Steering Committee.

Under the Canada-Quebec Accord, Quebec has the rights and responsibilities with respect to selection, reception and integration of immigrants destined to Quebec, including Anglophone minority communities. Therefore, Canada concentrates its efforts on the Francophone minority communities outside Quebec.

Below is the Government's response to each of the 14 recommendations in the report of the Standing Committee on Official Languages.

Recommendation 1

The Committee recommends that immigration officers be required to inform Francophone potential immigrants of the existence of official language minority communities throughout Canada.

Response: With the coming into force of the new Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, the interview is no longer the preferred means by which immigration officers inform immigrants of Canadian realities, including the existence of official language minority communities throughout Canada. CIC now uses other methods to communicate with immigrants.

Overseas visa offices make information on Canada's bilingual character available to immigrants; this includes lists of linguistic minority communities in Canada and a directory of organizations involved with those communities in various capacities. Moreover, each year many immigrants attend Canadian Orientation Abroad sessions, which underscore the bilingual nature of Canada and the existence of official language minority communities. Finally, CIC is currently developing Web pages which will, among other things, inform would-be immigrants of the existence of official language minority communities throughout Canada.

The promotion of French-speaking immigration and recruitment are also components of the CIC-Francophone Minority Communities Steering Committee's strategic framework. Other means for informing French-speaking immigrants and promoting the communities will be identified and implemented over the next five years.

Recommendation 2

The Committee urges CIC to create a Web site that would provide information on the official language minority communities and that could be used as an interactive communications tool by representatives of those communities, immigration officers and potential immigrants.

Response: Citizenship and Immigration Canada agrees with the Standing Committee that a Web site is an effective means for informing potential immigrants about official language minority communities. In fact, CIC is currently developing a Web site that will inform would-be immigrants of the existence of official language minority communities throughout Canada. The site will include general but targeted information designed to attract immigrants to minority communities, as well as links to more detailed information on each community.

The site and its content will be developed in consultation with the communities and other federal departments, including Human Resources Development Canada and Canadian Heritage. It is therefore vitally important that the concept be validated by all the stakeholders involved, since their contribution will be necessary for the project's success. It must, however, be recognized that this project will take time to carry out. Given its magnitude, it will require cooperation among a variety of stakeholders, if only for the surveying, gathering, updating and production of information.

The Web site is being planned as both a tool for promoting the communities and a tool for communication between community representatives, immigration officers and potential immigrants.

Recommendation 3

The Committee recommends that the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration set objectives to be achieved over the next five years in selecting, and retaining within minority communities, immigrants who speak the minority language. The annual reports prepared by CIC as part of its obligations under section 41 of the Official Languages Act must provide information in this regard.

The Committee reiterates the importance of CIC support for the official language communities in their involvement in immigration issues. The Committee recommends that the Government of Canada ensure the permanence of such support, that the funding allocated to CIC in the coming years reflect a long-term strategy for the development and promotion of immigration for the benefit of the official language minority communities and that this objective be reflected in the Department's action plan.

Response: Citizenship and Immigration Canada has been considering this matter and working on it for several months. In the fall of 2003, the CIC-FMC Steering Committee will release a strategic framework which will specifically address this recommendation, clearly setting out targets for the next five years. This information could be included in the Action Plan and the Progress Report required under section 41 of the Official Languages Act.

It should also be noted that pilot projects, selected in partnership with the communities, will be launched in order to 1) make the communities aware of the importance of immigration; 2) develop the reception capacity of Francophone minority communities; 3) increase promotional efforts; and 4) set up provincial/territorial committees to coordinate all these initiatives. The pilot projects will serve to identify best practices, which will be disseminated to ensure that all communities can benefit.

Lastly, it should be pointed out that, for any new initiative to be successful, it is very important to work in partnership with the provinces/territories, the communities and other stakeholders to attract, integrate and retain immigrants in official language minority communities.

Recommendation 4

The Committee recommends that the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade take appropriate steps to ensure that Canada's embassies, consulates and diplomatic missions reflect, in the course of their work of promoting Canada abroad, Canada's linguistic duality and in particular the existence of French-speaking and English-speaking communities throughout the country. To achieve this, the Committee recommends that Canada's embassies, consulates and diplomatic missions give equal space to both official languages on their Web sites, among other actions.

Response: The Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade (DFAIT) promotes Canada's linguistic duality in all its activities abroad and presents that duality as an integral part of Canadian reality. For example, our embassies, consulates and diplomatic missions invite respected people, artists and athletes from Francophone and Anglophone communities to participate in international events such as the Week of La Francophonie, the Games of La Francophonie, the Commonwealth Games or the Francophone Summit. Our officials use both official languages in international fora such as the United Nations and the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development.

As well, in accordance with the principles of DFAIT's policy on official languages, all information posted on the Department's Web sites, including the sites of Canada's embassies, consulates and diplomatic missions abroad, must be made available to the public in English and French, and both languages must be equally prominent. The Department is required to serve Canadians in the official language of their choice and to ensure that Canadians can communicate in both official languages, orally and in writing, with all Canadian embassies, consulates and diplomatic missions abroad. This is a requirement under the Official Languages Act. In addition to English or French, the Department may use another language in order to communicate directly with foreign visitors to the Department's Web sites.

Recommendation 5

The Committee recommends that those in charge of the Official Languages Support Program and the Multiculturalism Program of the Department of Canadian Heritage strengthen their collaborative relationships so as to meet the needs of the Francophone ethnocultural communities.

Response: The Department of Canadian Heritage has already begun strengthening the relationship between official languages support programs and the multiculturalism and human rights program. Since May 2003, a representative of the Multiculturalism and Human Rights Branch has been sitting on the Canadian Heritage-Francophone and Acadian Communities of Canada Committee. The Official Languages Support Program and Multiculturalism Program plan to use this presence to help promote a climate of cooperation and joint activities. The mutual commitment to working together stems from the Department's desire to coordinate its efforts to advance the development of both official language minority communities and ethnocultural communities.

A similar committee is being created with the Anglophone community in Quebec and the two branches in question will be invited to send representatives.

Recommendation 6

The Committee recommends that from now on a language clause be included in all federal-provincial-territorial agreements on immigration, providing for the input of official language communities on all issues involving promotion, recruitment and immigration of new arrivals whose first language is that of the minority.

Response: A clause on official languages is being added to provincial nominee agreements as they are renewed. This clause provides for the province to consult Francophone community representatives on immigration issues. The provincial nominee agreements with Nova Scotia, Saskatchewan and Manitoba contain such a clause. CIC intends to add a similar clause to agreements with the other provinces as they are renegotiated.

CIC intends to add a clause requiring provincial governments to consider the needs of official language minority communities to new immigration agreements with the provinces and territories, or when existing framework agreements on immigration are renewed. This objective is consistent with the spirit of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act to support the vitality of official language minority communities, and Part VII of the Official Languages Act.

Recommendation 7

With a view to facilitating the transition and integration of immigrants, the Committee recommends that CIC study the approach put forward by the Société franco-manitobaine and look into the possibility of targeting individuals and families in order to increase the chances of successful settlement in the same community.

Response: Citizenship and Immigration Canada takes all past successes into account, including the experience of Manitoba, when developing future initiatives to facilitate the transition and integration of immigrants into Francophone minority communities. The CIC-FMC Steering Committee has also conducted a study of the reception capacity of Moncton, Ottawa, Sudbury, Winnipeg, Edmonton and Vancouver. That study, released in January 2003, found weaknesses in those communities' reception capacity and concluded that it needed to be strengthened. Initiatives to increase their reception capacity have therefore been undertaken. For example, a workshop took place on September 24, 2003, on the settlement of French-speaking immigrants in the Greater Vancouver area.

A second study, dealing with immigration to rural and semi-urban communities and Francophones' perceptions of the contribution of immigration to their community, is being carried out. It focuses on Nova Scotia, Saskatchewan, Newfoundland and Labrador, and northern Ontario. The results will be made public in the fall of 2003.

Representatives of other federal departments and provincial governments, including Manitoba, are participating in the Steering Committee's work. The involvement of provincial/territorial representatives brings new expertise to the Committee and, sometimes, a different perspective on immigration issues. It also facilitates the creation of new partnerships for the purpose of encouraging newcomers to integrate into Francophone communities.

However, community leadership is necessary to help make community members aware of the importance of immigration for the community's development, and to implement pilot projects that meet its specific needs.

Recommendation 8

The Committee recommends that the Government of Canada take steps to ensure that the provinces and regulatory authorities treat foreign credentials equitably whether dealing with Francophone or Anglophone immigrants.

Response: The Government recognizes the importance of the recognition of credentials for the integration of newcomers. The recognition of credentials facilitates economic and social integration and makes it possible to quickly maximize a newcomer's contribution to the community. It should be noted, however, that the problem is not so much any difference in the treatment of the credentials of Francophone and Anglophone immigrants as the recognition of foreign credentials per se.

Human Resources Development Canada is already working with Citizenship and Immigration Canada and other federal departments to develop a strategy for addressing foreign credential recognition barriers and improving on-line information and services in order to help immigrants prepare for the Canadian job market and begin the integration process while they are still outside the country. This strategy will also include partnerships with the provinces, employers and other stakeholders.

As stated in the Speech from the Throne, the Government intends to work with its partners to eliminate obstacles to the recognition of foreign credentials. The February 2003 budget also allocated $13 million over two years to work with federal and provincial partners, sector councils, regulatory bodies and employers to facilitate the assessment and recognition of immigrants' credentials so they can realize their full potential in the Canadian job market, and thereby promote their social integration.

Recommendation 9

The Committee recommends that the Department of Human Resources Development Canada, as a member of the CIC-FMC Steering Committee, step up its efforts to develop programs for the support and integration of new arrivals. Such programs would make it possible for new arrivals not only to acquire an initial experience in the labour market, but also to perfect their linguistic and professional skills. These initiatives would ensure that new arrivals would be able to contribute fully to their new community and to Canadian society.

Response: Human Resources Development Canada (HRDC) fully intends to continue working in collaboration with the CIC-FMC Steering Committee to determine how it can best support CIC's mandate.

HRDC's programs already offer an array of services, which may be considered in the development of the Steering Committee's strategic framework. HRDC's Secretariat, Official Language Minority Communities, has begun approaching the people responsible for programs to make them aware of the issue of Francophone minority communities and to secure their collaboration on immigration matters.

The Government recognizes that there are challenges that remain to be addressed. The February 2003 budget identified certain spheres of action and provided funding to reduce labour market barriers faced by immigrants.

Recommendation 10

We recommend that all regional development agencies such as the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency and Western Economic Diversification Canada work together with the CIC-FMC Steering Committee to study ways to facilitate the integration of Francophone immigrants into minority communities.

Response: The CIC-Francophone Minority Communities Steering Committee is working with a number of federal departments, including the regional development agencies, to identify opportunities to assist the integration of Francophone immigrants in official language minority communities outside the major centres (Toronto, Montréal, Vancouver). CIC is pooling its limited resources in order to help small communities attract the immigrants they need for their economic and social development, including Francophone immigrants.

Recommendation 11

The Committee recommends that CIC ensure that the funding it allocates language training to LINC and CLIC reflect the objectives of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act with respect to the recruitment and settlement of immigrants in both of Canada's two official language communities.

Response: The Department's guidelines for settlement services and programs are based on Treasury Board's terms and conditions. The objective of the Language Instruction for Newcomers to Canada (LINC) program is to facilitate their social, cultural and economic integration into Canada so they can become participating members of Canadian society as soon as possible. The LINC should, therefore, be offered in the official language that will be most helpful to enable the newcomer to integrate into the host community. For example, if the newcomer needs to enter the job market and the predominant official language in the job market is English, it would be beneficial for the newcomer to take English courses. However, if the newcomer has settled in a French-speaking neighbourhood in a city where the predominant official language is English, it may be more advantageous for him or her to take French courses in order to access local community services.

In keeping with its commitment to support the vitality of Canada's Francophone minority communities, CIC has added clauses on official languages to its contribution agreements with service suppliers for settlement and resettlement programs, including the LINC's language assessment component. These clauses define the suppliers' official languages obligations and commit them to consulting the Francophone community annually in order to better serve it.

In the budget of February 18, 2003, the Government allocated $10 million over two years to helping its partners deliver more advanced labour market language training.

Recommendation 12

The Committee encourages the official language minority communities to continue making immigration a priority in their development plans.

Response: Francophone minority communities' strong interest in immigration creates a favourable environment for the implementation of various initiatives. The importance the communities attach to immigration was demonstrated by their readiness to create the CIC-FMC Steering Committee and to actively participate in its work. The Steering Committee's mandate is to help develop a strategy to

• increase the communities' awareness of immigration-related issues and enhance their reception capacity;
• make CIC's employees, service suppliers and clients in Canada and abroad aware of Canada's bilingual character;
• liaise with Francophone minority communities;
• promote, recruit and select immigrants who will choose to settle in Francophone minority communities; and
• develop the capacity of Francophone communities to receive and integrate newcomers.

As well, in January 2002, CIC signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Canadian Heritage concerning implementation of the Interdepartmental Partnership with Official Language Communities (IPOLC). IPOLC is, in a sense, a tool that enables the communities to exercise leadership in creating projects that meet their specific needs. With this tool, Francophone minority communities can initiate IPOLC-funded projects to promote the vitality of Canada's official language minorities. Examples include a study of the needs of French-speaking immigrants in the London-Sarnia region and of the Francophone community's reception capacity, the development of orientation and settlement tools for young Francophone immigrants in Edmonton, and an assessment of Vancouver's capacity to settle and integrate French-speaking immigrants and refugees.

Recommendation 13

The Committee recommends that the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration ensure that Bill C-18 stipulate that the citizenship ceremonies be conducted in both official languages and that linguistic duality be promoted.

Response: Bill C-18, An Act Respecting Canadian Citizenship, is currently being studied by the Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration. Citizenship and Immigration Canada is closely following the testimony before the Committee. CIC has noted the testimony by the Commissioner of Official Languages, which included recommendations dealing specifically with citizenship ceremonies and the promotion of Canada's linguistic duality. CIC will consider recommendations proposed by the Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration when Parliament reconvenes.

Recommendation 14

The Committee recommends that CIC, within the framework of the Canada-Quebec Agreement currently in effect, consult the representative bodies of Quebec's Anglophone community to determine whether they would be interested in setting up a steering committee similar to that for the Francophone minority communities.

Response: Under the Canada-Quebec Agreement, Quebec has rights and responsibilities with respect to the number of immigrants destined to Quebec and the selection, reception and integration of those immigrants. Quebec administers programs related to immigrant selection and integration, and is therefore responsible for consulting its population.

 

© Minister of Public Works and Government Services Canada, 2003
Cat. no. Ci-51-150/2003
ISBN 0-662-67663-7
C&I-566-10-03

	Date Published: 2003-10-02		Important Notices