Canada's official affirmative action immigration policy for francophones

Apparently, Canada is overweighting francophone Express Entry immigrants over anglophone ones (despite the equal scoring on language profficiency in their general skilled immigrant point system). Excerpts from the Toronto Star article (with my emphasis in order to underscore the contradictions):

French-speaking candidates made up 42 per cent of the people invited for permanent residence last year via Canada’s flagship skilled immigration selection system, which favours applicants fluent in French and is upsetting those who aren’t.

In total, 48,000 of the 113,998 applicants picked under the Express Entry system were chosen for their ability in French. They were selected in periodic draws from the talent pool where candidates post their profiles, and are awarded points out of a 1,200 maximum and ranked based on age, education, work experience and other attributes.

The deliberate effort is in part to redress the decline in the demographic weight of French-speaking Canadians outside Quebec — down from 6.1 per cent in 1971 to about four per cent today — and ensure the long-term vitality of these minority communities that are key to “Canada’s bilingual and multicultural character.”

Ottawa has reduced its permanent resident intakes from 485,000 in 2024 to 380,000 in 2026, while raising the portion of the French-speaking newcomers outside Quebec in the mix from six per cent to nine per cent, and to 12 per cent in 2029.

“We have an ambitious francophone immigration plan, which we will attain,” Immigration Minister Lena Metlege Diab told a news conference in November on new funding to support francophone immigration.

Personally, I had a much higher score on my English skills than my rudimentary French skills when I was awarded a skilled immigrant visa by the Canadian government back in 2006.

PS (added 2026.01.12): Here is a summary of all EE rounds I compiled from the official data. One might notice that the francophone program's minimum lowest score is below the weighted average and only above the Trades program (if one discounts the Provincial program which is very opaque).

PPS (added 2026.01.12): It is much worse: Ontario's PNP/OINP includes a French-speaking stream in addition to the generic EE francophone stream and Quebec's own. Is that what Canada really needs: a glut of francophone immigrants that jump the queue ahead of more qualified candidates and not more STEM, healthcare and tradespeople?? Really?