Hon. Marc Gold (Government Representative in the Senate): Thank you for your question. First of all, it should be noted that Quebec sets its own immigration targets and has exclusive authority over selecting the majority of its immigrants, and thanks to the agreement between Canada and Quebec, the government offers Quebec financial compensation to ensure the francization of newcomers. The government of Canada always respects Quebec’s jurisdiction over immigration.

Ensuring the vitality of francophone communities remains a key priority for the federal government. The government is proud to announce that it has reached its target of 4.4% francophone immigration outside Quebec. In 2022, Canada admitted over 16,371 French-speaking immigrants outside Quebec. That is a nearly 450% increase since 2015, and that is the largest number of francophone immigrants admitted to Canada outside of Quebec since data tracking began in 2006.

The government firmly believes it can grow the economy while protecting the French culture and language.