Winnipeg le 19 octobre 2011

L'Accueil francophone lance une vidéo destinée aux nouveaux arrivants.

La vidéo lancée par l'Accueil francophone a pour objectif de faciliter l'intégration des nouveaux arrivants en leur expliquant d'une façon concrète différents aspects de la vie au Manitoba.

Divisée en trois volets, la vidéo évoque, entre autres, les documents officiels, l'éducation et l'hygiène personnelle.

Le jeudi 1 septembre 2011

Geneviève s'entretient avec la coordonatrice régionale de l'immigration francophone en Nouvelle-Écosse, Louise Diop, qui était de passage à Winnipeg récemment pour en apprendre davantage sur le fonctionnement de l'Accueil francophone du Manitoba.

 http://www.radio-canada.ca/emissions/radio-reveil/2010-2011/chronique.asp?idChronique=171128

The Societe franco-manitobaine will receive nearly $112,000 in federal funding to help 50 French-speaking government-assisted refugees begin their new lives in Manitoba. The services include help with finding temporary and permanent accommodations and everyday tasks such as banking, managing a household, as well as referrals to federal and provincial programs. These services will be provided by l'Accueil francophone, a branch of Societe franco-manitobaine. The funding is being provided through Citizenship and Immigration Canada's Resettlement Assistance Program (RAP).

"This Government is committed to helping those truly in need to begin their new lives in Canada," said Minister Kenney. "The hopes and dreams they bring with them will help build a richer and stronger Canada."

"We are grateful to Minister Kenney and his department for this important investment in our community. This funding will allow l'Accueil francophone to continue and significantly enhance our settlement services to Francophone government-assisted refugees. We share the Government of Canada's commitment to improving the lives and settlement experience of these newcomers," said Daniel Boucher, President and Director General of the Societe franco-manitobaine.

"Organizations like the Societe franco-manitobaine and l'Accueil francophone truly reflect the welcoming spirit of our community. The services they provide are instrumental in helping new Francophone refugees settle into the community and feel at home," added Saint Boniface MP Shelly Glover.

For 2009-10, Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) has set aside over $3.8 million to help refugees in Manitoba. In total, more than $44.5 million has been set aside under the RAP to assist in the resettlement of refugees nationally except for Quebec, which receives funding under the Canada-Quebec Accord.

These resettlement services are in addition to settlement services and programs funded by CIC to help all newcomers, including refugees, settle and integrate into their new communities. For these broader programs and services, Manitoba is receiving nearly $28 million in basic settlement funding for 2009-10, an increase of more than $6 million (or 22 percent) over the previous year.

Settlement and resettlement services are an essential part of the Government of Canada's immigration program. They help immigrants, including refugees, overcome barriers specific to the newcomer experience and are key to supporting their longer term economic and social integration.

Canada resettles 10,000 to 12,000 refugees from overseas every year. This represents 10% of the 100,000 refugees resettled globally. In 2009, Canada will welcome 7,300 to 7,500 government-assisted refugees through the RAP and 3,300 to 4,500 through the Private Sponsorship of Refugees Program.

Today's announcement underlines the Government of Canada's commitment to increase the number of French-speaking immigrants to Francophone minority communities and support their integration by strengthening access to settlement services.

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FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT:

Citizenship and Immigration Canada
Alykhan Velshi
Minister's Office
Alykhan.Velshi@cic.gc.ca
or
Citizenship and Immigration Canada
Media Relations Unit
Communications Branch
613-952-1650
CIC-Media-Relations@cic.gc.ca

La Société franco-manitobaine recevra près de 112 000 $ de fonds fédéraux pour aider 50 réfugiés francophones pris en charge par le gouvernement à se faire une nouvelle vie au Manitoba. Ces services les aident entre autres à trouver un logement provisoire ou permanent et à mener des activités quotidiennes comme effectuer des opérations bancaires et s'occuper de son foyer. De plus, on les aiguillera vers les programmes fédéraux et provinciaux pertinents. Ces services seront fournis par l'Accueil francophone, filiale de la Société franco-manitobaine. Le financement vient du Programme d'aide au réétablissement (PAR) de Citoyenneté et Immigration Canada.

"Le gouvernement est déterminé à aider les gens qui sont vraiment dans le besoin à commencer leur nouvelle vie au Canada, a déclaré le ministre Kenney. L'espoir et les rêves qu'ils portent en eux contribueront à l'édification d'un Canada plus riche et plus solide."

"Nous remercions le ministre Kenney et son ministère de cet investissement important pour notre collectivité. Ces fonds permettront à l'Accueil francophone d'augmenter grandement la quantité de services d'aide à l'établissement destinés aux réfugiés francophones pris en charge par le gouvernement. Comme le gouvernement du Canada, nous avons à cour d'améliorer la vie de ces nouveaux arrivants et de faire en sorte que leur établissement soit une expérience plaisante", a expliqué Daniel Boucher, président-directeur général de la Société franco-manitobaine.

"Des organisations comme la Société franco-manitobaine et l'Accueil francophone reflètent bien l'hospitalité de notre collectivité. Les services qu'elles fournissent aident les nouveaux réfugiés francophones à s'établir et à se sentir chez eux", a ajouté Shelly Glover, députée fédérale de la circonscription de Saint-Boniface.

Pour 2009-2010, Citoyenneté et Immigration Canada (CIC) a réservé plus de 3,8 millions de dollars pour aider les réfugiés au Manitoba. En tout, plus de 44,5 millions de dollars ont été mis de côté en vertu du PAR pour aider au réétablissement des réfugiés au niveau national, exception faite du Québec, qui reçoit des fonds en vertu de l'Accord Canada-Québec.

Ces services de réétablissement viennent s'ajouter aux services et programmes d'établissement financés par CIC pour aider tous les nouveaux arrivants, y compris les réfugiés, à s'établir et à s'intégrer dans leur nouvelle collectivité. Pour ces programmes et services plus vastes, le Manitoba va recevoir près de 28 millions de dollars en financement de base d'établissement en 2009-2010, soit une augmentation de plus de six millions de dollars (ou 22 p. 100) par rapport à l'année précédente.

Les services d'établissement et de réétablissement sont une partie essentielle du programme d'immigration du gouvernement du Canada. Ils aident les immigrants, y compris les réfugiés, à surmonter les obstacles auxquels doit habituellement faire face un nouvel arrivant et ils sont indispensables à l'intégration socio-économique à long terme des immigrants.

De 10 000 à 12 000 réfugiés venant d'outre-mer se réétablissent au Canada tous les ans. Cela représente 10 p. 100 des 100 000 réfugiés réétablis dans le monde. En 2009, le Canada accueillera de 7 300 à 7 500 réfugiés pris en charge par le gouvernement par l'intermédiaire du PAR et de 3 300 à 4 500 réfugiés par l'intermédiaire du programme de parrainage privé de réfugiés.

L'annonce faite aujourd'hui souligne l'engagement qu'a pris le gouvernement du Canada d'augmenter le nombre des immigrants qui parlent le français dans les collectivités à minorité francophone et de soutenir leur intégration en améliorant l'accès aux services d'établissement.

Source Citoyenneté et Immigration Canada

Immigration strategy called Canada's best

By: Mia Rabson

1/04/2009

OTTAWA ---- Canada's Commissioner of Official Languages has singled out a Manitoba francophone immigration strategy as the best in the country and is urging other provinces to take note.

Graham Fraser has been praising the program in speeches all over the country, including at a Parliamentary committee hearing in February and last week at an event in New Brunswick looking at developing an immigration office for the Acadian peninsula.

"I've been talking up Manitoba as an example," said Fraser. "Manitoba is really leading the way."

He said the Manitoba example is a multi-government approach involving an unusual level of co-operation between the federal and provincial governments and Manitoba French agencies including La Société franco-manitobaine. The Manitoba strategy ensures that when a French-speaking immigrant first arrives in Manitoba they are greeted by French-speaking agencies who can help direct them to all the services they need in French.

That includes health-care services and enrolling their kids in French schools. If their temporary residences are not located near the school, the program provides transportation.

Fraser said in other provinces, the disconnect between levels of government and community agencies often leaves French-speaking immigrants to discover by accident, on their own, the existence of French services and agencies, that would have been helpful to know about immediately. French kids are often enrolled in English schools because their parents aren't aware of any other option, said Fraser.

"Minority communities are increasingly aware that their future growth and vitality depend on attracting immigrants," said Fraser.

Conservative MP Shelly Glover, who represents St. Boniface in Parliament and is also the parliamentary secretary for official languages, said it makes her proud to hear Fraser single out Manitoba for its efforts.

"The preservation of the French language is something we have to be proactive on," she said. "We need the influx to help keep our French culture."

Manitoba Immigration Minister Nancy Allan said the strategy came about when the province noticed in 2006 the francophone population in Manitoba had fallen. The province has since embarked on francophone immigrant recruiting trips, and opened an office to address francophone immigration.

"We're having some pretty good success," said Allan.

In 2005 there were 250 French-speaking immigrants to Manitoba, and 264 in 2006. In 2007, the first full year with the new strategy, it increased to 334.

Fraser also said Manitoba is the only province to have French-service centres where a resident can deal with offices from each level of government at the same place and be served in French. That includes things like getting a passport, renewing a driver's licence or inquiring about your municipal tax bill.

There are three such centres in Manitoba -- in St. Boniface, St-Pierre-Jolys and Notre-Dame-de-Lourdes.

mia.rabson@freepress.mb.ca