OLLO – Settlement and Integration in Francophone Minority Communities –November 4, 2024
Key Facts and Figures
The Department has increased its annual funding allocated to Francophone organizations for settlement and integration services, from $53M in fiscal year 2020-2021 to $82M in fiscal year 2023-2024.
This represents a 55% increase in funding for francophone services over the period.
The $82M last fiscal year includes transfer payments of $8.7M from the Action Plan for Official Languages.
The Department has increased the number of Francophone service providers funded from 50 organizations in 2018 to nearly 80 organizations currently being funded, resulting in a better coverage of core services across the country.
The percentage of French-speaking newcomers who were served by Francophone organizations has been steadily increasing from 51% in 2019–2020 to 64% in 2023–2024.
For the period 2019–2020 to 2023–2024, the number of French-speaking immigrants who used settlement and resettlement services increased from 18,120 to 29,685, an increase of 63%.
Key Messages
In 2023-2024, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) invested approximately $82M to fund close to 80 Francophone organizations for the Francophone Integration Pathway, a suite of services delivered in French by Francophone service providers for French-speaking newcomers settling outside of Quebec.
This investment illustrates the government’s commitment to supporting the successful integration of newcomers into Francophone communities outside of Quebec, as well as to the vitality of Francophone Minority Communities (FMCs), as stated in IRCC’s new Francophone Immigration Policy.
In November 2023, IRCC launched the Call for Proposals (CFP) 2024 funding process, for settlement and resettlement services, applying a strong francophone lens with a stream dedicated to the Francophone Integration Pathway. The Department is currently reviewing submissions to recommend new and innovative services for the next funding cycle, beginning on April 1, 2025.
Supplementary Information
The Department has deployed efforts to consolidate the Francophone Integration Pathway, to overcome issues that present challenges to French-Speaking Immigrants to settle in FMCs:
Prior to 2018, many newcomers to Canada were not aware of the existence of Francophone communities outside Quebec and of settlement services available in French.
In addition, consultations and reports indicated that the suite of settlement services offered in French was fragmented. A comprehensive approach needed to be developed to better inform and refer newcomers to Francophone services.
Since then, the Department has put in place the Francophone Integration Pathway, which consists of a suite of settlement services in French, offered by Francophone organizations to facilitate integration, as well as creating lasting ties between newcomers and Francophone communities outside Quebec.
There was also a need to support more Francophone service providers in building their capacity to deliver services.
IRCC has funded several initiatives to help FMCs better attract, welcome, and integrate newcomers, including:
The Welcoming Francophone Communities (WFCs) initiative expanded over the past summer with the addition of 10 new communities, for a total of 24 WFCs, which receive funding to support the integration of French-speaking newcomers in chosen communities.
Projects that integrate a Gender-based Analysis Plus lens to address distinct needs of specific populations such as specialized services for women (La Maison des femmes in Toronto) and other marginalized groups, including for newcomers that identify as part of the 2SLGBTQ+ community (FrancoQueer).
Collaborating with the Alliance des femmes de la francophonie canadienne and Réseau de développement économique et d’employabilité Canada (RDÉE Canada), to develop a strategy to better meet the needs of immigrant women settling in FMCs. This strategy, currently in development, will identify key areas of intervention for the Francophone settlement sector, including employability and entrepreneurship.
Delivering services through a hybrid delivery mode (in-person, virtual, mobile) which increases service accessibility in smaller and rural communities.
A single window for pre-arrival services (Connexions Francophones), connecting French-speaking newcomers with Francophone communities prior to their arrival.
Service hubs (« Carrefour de services ») through partnerships in several major cities (e.g.: Edmonton, Regina, Sudbury, etc.) so that French-speaking newcomers can access core settlement services offered by a Francophone organization, including the evaluation of their needs and assets, to provide referrals, information and orientation.
Increased funding for national projects to support capacity building of the Francophone settlement sector by providing tools and professional development in French, in areas such as mental health, employer engagement, as well as targeted support for seniors, women and families.
The National Francophone Settlement Advisory Committee (“CCNEF”), co-led by IRCC, whose mandate was to provide recommendations to IRCC to help build capacity in the francophone settlement sector, tabled a Final Report containing its recommendations in June of 2023.
IRCC welcomed this report and given the timing with the Department’s preparation for the 2024 national CFP, we were able to integrate a vast number of the report’s recommendations into the guidelines for the launch of CFP in November 2023.
Additionally, in March 2024, IRCC met with the CCNEF to provide an update on the implementation of its recommendations. A follow-up is planned in fall 2024 once decisions related to the CFP 2024 are made.
Language Acquisition
As part of the Action Plan for Official Languages 2023-2028, IRCC has allocated $10.5M for language training services for newcomers settling in FMCs.
This initiative strengthens the supply and access to language training in French and/or English for French-speaking and allophone clients, who often have language training needs in one or both languages, for the purpose of their economic and social integration in Francophone minority communities.
Resettlement
IRCC currently funds four Francophone Resettlement Assistance Program service provider organizations in Winnipeg (Manitoba), Cornwall (Ontario), Edmundston and Bathurst (New Brunswick).
In the context of the “Temporary public policy to facilitate Issuance of permanent resident visas to Colombian, Haitian, and Venezuelan nationals”, IRCC provided assistance to FMCs through a tailored information session in January of this year. This initiative prompted the Fédération des communautés francophones et acadienne, with IRCC's support, to develop social media content in Haitian Creole to guide migrants from Haiti.
IRCC also provided funding to Refugee Sponsorship Training Program in 2023-2024 to expand training and support services to sponsors in Francophone communities, and build stronger relationships with francophone communities in Ontario.
IRCC launched an Expression of Interest on June 27, 2024 to fund projects led by Francophone organizations to increase awareness on refugee sponsorship in Francophone minority communities and build capacity of Francophone sponsors.
Anti-Racism Activities
IRCC has provided funding to Francophone settlement service providers across the country (outside of Quebec) to implement anti-racism strategies and increase connections between French-speaking newcomers and host communities, including Indigenous Peoples.
