P.E.I. wants to better integrate French-speaking immigrants

Around a hundred people participated in the first forum of the provincial Francophone immigration network on Tuesday in Summerside. One of the objectives: to consider the establishment of the very first Francophone integration program (PIF) in Prince Edward Island.

This is an extremely important working document, explains Julie Gaudet. The coordinator of the French-speaking immigration network (RIF) in Prince Edward Island explains that the PIF is a tool to support French-speaking immigrants throughout their journey.

This tool should make it possible to better coordinate the support provided to French-speaking immigrants who wish to settle in the province.

To achieve their objective, the participants, organizations that help French-speaking newcomers from the four corners of the Atlantic, share their knowledge and pool their ideas. In New Brunswick, such a document already exists.

There are no straight lines with the PIF. There are always different things. It’s a good thing to have discussions around the table in order to have the right ideasexplains Phiautha Dantiste, the coordinator of the RIF in New Brunswick.

Immigration on the rise, retention still problematic

Such a document is essential today for island organizations, but also for the Atlantic as a whole. Because if immigration is on the rise in the region, the retention of immigrants is not always there.

When people arrive, most of the time they find that there are not enough services for them, that there are not enough activities, nor things that represent them. Retention therefore becomes difficult.

Despite everything, hope remains. Francophone immigration in the Atlantic is at a turning point, especially since the end of the pandemic according to Eugénie Parent, the general director of the Francophone Integration Cooperative of Prince Edward Island.

There are retention trends. Yes, we lost families, some returned to Quebec, but we also saw people who settled for the long term.she explains.

Holding forums, like this first of its kind in Prince Edward Island, is necessary for the trend to continue.

It is certain that the task becomes heavier because we have to take care of more people, but thanks to the partnerships and our partners who support us, it helps us a lot.

David Lapierre is coordinator at RIF in Newfoundland and Labrador. According to him, the contribution of the federal government remains essential for provincial initiatives to be a success.

IRCC, the federal government, or our provinces to obtain funding and move forward with our projects”,”text”:”We need to work on strategic plans at the provincial level, then at the Atlantic level. Then, this will give us leverage to go see IRCC, the federal government, or our provinces to obtain funding and move forward with our projects”}}”>We need to work on strategic plans at the provincial level, then at the Atlantic level. Then, this will give us leverage to go and see IRCCthe federal government, or our provinces to obtain funding and move forward with our projectshe explains.

Prince Edward Island’s Francophone integration path should be unveiled in winter 2025. The next forum will take place next June.