Ottawa, December 4, 2003
Official Languages and Immigration: the complementarity of duality and diversity
Speaking Notes Symposium on Official Languages in Ontario
Dr. Dyane Adam - Commissioner of Official Languages
Check against delivery
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Introduction
Jacques Attali, French writer and former advisor to François Mitterrand, suggests in his recent dictionary for the 21st century, Le dictionnaire du XXIe siècle, that the new century belongs to Canada. A country that has decided not to follow the model of a nation state and that welcomes people of all cultures and all outlooks into its social fabric.
It is true; Canada is, in a way, a microcosm of the world, where all cultures and languages are represented.
In this spirit of respect and appreciation of differences, I believe it is linguistic duality that has set our country on this original course. The negotiation of a successful compromise between English and French has in fact shaped our constitution and institutions. Canadians know that in order to respect the rights of individuals, they must also consider the groups to which these individuals belong.
Canada has broadened the theory of human rights to include the recognition of groups. Whereas institutions in other countries recognize only individual rights and see only a mass of isolated individuals, Canada considers the many rich cultures the world has to offer it.
In this sense, linguistic duality is the source of the current and future success of multiculturalism. Linguistic duality has created a way of life that attracts immigrants from all over the world.
Immigration in turn benefits Canada. Maintaining the country's social, economic and demographic stability, in spite of our aging population, is one of the great challenges that Canada faces at present. Immigration is truly the key to addressing these problems and a foundation for Canada's economic prosperity. Immigration meets the basic needs of Canadian society just as Canada meets the needs of immigrants.
Let us recall some statistics pertaining to immigration and official languages. About 200,000 people choose to settle in Canada every year. However, some communities and regions in the country do not benefit equitably from immigration. This is especially true for Francophone communities across the country, including in Quebec. These communities attract just one quarter of the number of immigrants corresponding to their demographic weight.
At present, French-speaking Canadians can draw just one conclusion: that immigration serves to reduce their demographic weight in Canada. And yet immigration could also be the key to their development.
Although you are gathered here to discuss demographic changes in Ontario and the sectoral plans under the Canada-community agreements, specifically with regard to immigration, I would like to address the following points:
1. the strategic framework to foster immigration to Francophone minority communities;
2. the strategies to actively recruit immigrants to Francophone communities;
3. the need for greater interdepartmental coordination;
4. the tools at our disposal; and
5. the outlook for the future.
1. The strategic framework to foster immigration1
I also recommended that a long-term monitoring mechanism be established to determine not only if more immigrants are drawn to Francophone communities, but also whether they choose to stay in those communities. The imbalances between regions and between linguistic groups must be corrected.
The adoption of this strategic framework is a fine example of coordination and certainly a very positive development. We must now take action and provide the resources that communities need to welcome and integrate immigrants.
2. Active recruitment
First and foremost, taking action means engaging in active recruitment.
Active recruitment begins abroad. The community must be attractive and must get that message out. Potential immigrants must be made more aware of the opportunities to settle in Francophone minority communities and these communities must, in turn, have the necessary resources to establish direct contact with immigrants before they arrive in Canada. For instance, these communities must be encouraged to participate actively in the provincial nominee program by submitting the names of potential immigrants who, based on their language profile, could become productive members of the community. In Quebec, for example, the Jewish community has ties with Argentina to provide information to potential immigrants and to invite them to join the community. Together with the Government of Quebec, it has also established an infrastructure to integrate new arrivals by providing language training and assistance in finding housing and work. This is a fine example of community mobilization to attract new members.
Secondly, the host community must be able to meet the immigrants' needs from the moment they arrive, and throughout the settlement and integration process. In this regard, the Société franco-manitobaine has just created a full-time position in order to better manage immigrant reception. The resources available to official-language minority communities to welcome new immigrants are very limited at present. These communities must commit to making immigration a success. And to do this, they need the resources. This can only be achieved through strategies to obtain assistance from provincial and federal governments in order to become full-fledged partners in the settlement and integration process.
Finally, in order to contribute fully to communities, immigrants must feel included in the community's collective identity. This identity must be sufficiently permeable. In this regard, I advocate more intensive dialogue between newcomers and the established members of Francophone minority communities in order to create new communities comprised of people with very different backgrounds. Using the French language as a common denominator, communities could open themselves up, while still allowing each group to retain the fundamental characteristics of its origins. In this vein, two weeks ago the Fédération des communautés francophones et acadiennes du Canada launched an initiative called "Vive la différence," which seeks to forge closer ties between Francophone and etchnocultural communities, Francophiles and the Anglophone majority.
Simply inviting immigrants to settle in an official-language minority community is not enough. Newcomers must be welcomed by local citizens and must integrate into the community. Seeing their children attend schools in the community would be a sign of successful integration.
3. Interdepartmental coordination
In my opinion, another essential ingredient in achieving the objectives of the strategic framework is interdepartmental coordination, at all stages of the immigration process: from planning to integration, and including recruitment and settlement. Federal departments must work together to provide a suitable context to recruit immigrants, specifically:
- the Department of Foreign Affairs must ensure that immigration tests and documents are available in French abroad;
- the Department of Citizenship and Immigration must ensure that immigration officers have current information on minority communities. An Internet site, in both official languages of course, could also be created as a source of information and a tool for communication among community representatives, immigration officers and potential immigrants;
- Canadian Heritage and Human Resources should prepare immigrants sufficiently for the labour market, in particular by removing restrictions preventing some newcomers from working in their chosen fields and having their academic qualifications recognized. In this regard, the departments must work with professional bodies and the provinces, since the federal government does not have jurisdiction in this area; and
- The Human Resources and Immigration departments, in particular, must find avenues for language training to help Francophone immigrants improve their knowledge of English while maintaining their ties with the Francophone host community.
So what can the communities do?
In my opinion, in order to attract immigrants, communities must implement a marketing plan similar to those used in tourism. They must present their assets while addressing the needs and concerns of immigrants.
For instance, I have often met Europeans wishing to settle in Canada. Every time I was surprised to learn that what attracts them to Canada is our "great open spaces". Yet, they usually settle in urban centres, mainly for economic reasons and because they do not know where else to go. We must help immigrants and direct them to the regions that can satisfy both their economic needs and the deep desire that draws them here.
Very simple measures can have a strong promotional impact. For example, the Division scolaire franco-manitobaine and the Société franco-manitobaine have pooled their efforts to produce a map for new immigrants to help them find permanent housing. This map shows bus routes for Francophone schools. It is a very simple idea, ensuring that before they sign a lease, immigrant families know whether their children will easily be able to attend a Francophone school in their neighbourhood. This is an excellent service that serves two purposes: children can continue their education in French and a new family joins an important institution in the Francophone community.
Like tourists, immigrants have to be shown where they can settle by selling them on the local amenities and the availability of the services they require.
In the spring, I visited Étienne-Brûlé secondary school in Toronto in connection with a community workshop and a citizenship ceremony. This Francohpone school has children from all over the world who are being educated together in French, although there are 20 different first languages represented among them.
At the ceremony, a Grade 12 student welcomed immigrants who were becoming Canadian citizens. Here is what she said about her school and Canada:
"In 1988, my family and I left Iran to begin a more peaceful life in Canada. […] [In Canada], I have had the opportunity to be educated in French and English, without neglecting my first language, Persian, or my faith. What really surprised me from the moment I arrived in this country is the respect everyone shows to new immigrants. Far from superficial, this attitude was very sincere."
This is what diversity means in Canada today. These children of diversity, being taught in French in the country's Anglophone metropolis, are a powerful and inspiring image for all ethno-cultural communities.
4. The tools available
So we must capitalize on the current trend in support of linguistic equality in Canada. We have the Action Plan for Official Languages, which seeks to increase bilingualism in Canada. There is a new immigration act which includes provisions for the preservation of linguistic minority communities, and its regulations place greater emphasis on knowledge of the official languages in assessing immigrant applications. No less than 24 of the 65 points required to be accepted as an immigrant to Canada can be earned through knowledge of our official languages. We now have the strategic framework to foster immigration to Francophone minority communities and you yourselves will be developing action plans to ensure that each region reaps the benefits of immigration. So give it your all and use these tools so we can attract enough immigrants to minority communities in the next ten years. Departments, governments and communities must coordinate their use of these various tools in order to foster innovative and effective regional initiatives.
5. Outlook for the future
Just as our ancestors created an original approach to the social contract, conferring rights on communities and respecting and valuing differences, one of the sources of our linguistic duality and cultural diversity, it is now up to you to create an original approach to immigration and integration that will benefit all regions of the country.
In Ontario, the number of immigrants in Francophone communities has risen by more than 12,000 in 5 years. Close to 12% of the province's Francophones, or 61,000 people, were born abroad.2
These figures show that the idea of attracting Francophone immigrants to minority communities is reasonable and realistic. We simply need to acquire the means. As I mentioned in my introduction, our linguistic duality is at the root of our ability to integrate newcomers to Canada. Losing the wealth of this duality would also be an obstacle to successful integration of diversity. The future belongs to open communities that welcome everyone who wants to join them. One does not have to have been born a Francophone or Anglophone to join Canada's Francophone or Anglophone communities. They are open to everyone.
Thank you, and I wish you a very productive symposium.
Notes
1 Government of Canada, Strategic Framework to Foster Immigration to Francophone Minority Communities, Citizenship and Immigration Canada and Canadian Heritage, 2003.
2 William Floch, Diversité et langues officielles au Canada, 2001, presentation to the Colloque Perspectives canadiennes et françaises sur la diversité, October 16, 2003.
