In light of the reasonable accommodation debates in Quebec, one provincial political party has expressed concern over an increasing number of new immigrants who pick English over French as their second language.

Proposed by the Parti Quebecois (PQ), the Quebec identity act, known as Bill 195, would bind every new Canadian immigrant to a ‘contract’ with the provincial government enforcing certain ‘integration’ requirements, such as learning French within three years of arrival.

The act, which outlines the three-year “integration contract” the provincial government will enforce with all new immigrants, also highlights the provincial government’s promise to offer “support and assistance” to all immigrants during this process.

The head of the advisory board for language policy in Quebec, Pierre Georgeault, said he believes imposing language on new immigrants through law is unethical. However, learning French undoubtedly will help new immigrants feel more comfortable in Quebec’s francophone environment.

Most newcomers to Montreal quickly discover how hard it is to get a job - particularly unskilled work at minimum wage - without speaking a word of French. Most employers will skip over resumes where applicants fail to mention a working knowledge of French.

It seems strongly pro-Francophone parties like the PQ are feeling threatened by last year’s Statistics Canada figures. Since 2001, 2.5 million immigrants have arrived in Canada, while Quebec has lost 250,000 Francophones.

Although many immigrants do choose French over English as a second-language, the provincial government has received complaints that the facilities aren’t in place to accommodate all new immigrants with free French language courses. Should parties like the PQ hope to persuade immigrants into learning French, language schools will have to accommodate the working immigrant and hold night classes as well as weekend seminars.