CAFI, a non-profit helping francophone immigrants settle in the Moncton area, put on the first Monde en fête multicultural festival on Saturday.
The festival coincided with the end of the 10th annual national francophone immigration week.
It included a multicultural parade, dancing and music.
The federal government opened a national centre in Dieppe, N.B., on Thursday, with the goal of increasing francophone immigration.
CAFI Executive Director Angèle Losier told Global News in French on Saturday she was pleased about the announcement.
“We were waiting for this announcement with impatience. For us, it allows us to have a point of entry for our francophone clientèle who wants to move to the region,” she said.
“So we will have agents we can work directly with to encourage the arrival of francophone newcomers to the region.”
She said New Brunswick’s bilingual status attracts francophone immigrants who want to learn English.
She said that while there has been a noticeable increase in francophone migration in the area, there are “very great challenges” in attracting and retaining francophone immigrants in the province, such as transportation, housing, and the job market for immigrants.
Mathias Mawoussi, a Togolese immigrant who works as a reception and establishment manager for CAFI, told Global News in French that he believes there needs to be greater transparency about the challenges immigrants will face when they come to the province before they arrive.
He echoed Losier’s comments about the housing crisis and various barriers to employment immigrants can face.
Mawoussi first immigrated to France before coming to New Brunswick five years ago.
He said that despite the challenges, he loves the quality of living he has in New Brunswick and wants to stay for life.
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