Council’s new five-year action plan will run from 2023-2028
The City of Laval’s first action plan and framework for immigration and ethnocultural diversity, which was adopted by the municipal council on Aug. 10, is expected to be implemented with more than 100 specific measures and sustainable initiatives over the next five years.
In a statement issued last week by city officials, they said Laval and other regional partners are recognizing the growing importance of immigration and immigrants in the overall economic, social and cultural development of Laval.
A third of Laval is immigrants
According to statistics furnished by the city, figures from 2021 indicate that nearly a third of Laval’s population now consists of immigrants (31.5 per cent). When including first and second general immigrants, nearly 3 out of 5 Laval residents (57.2 per cent) are the product of immigration.
“The action plan and framework for immigration and ethnocultural diversity attests concretely to our role in matters concerning the welcoming and integration of persons who are immigrants,” said Mayor Stéphane Boyer.
“This tool will allow us over a period of five years to implement sustainable measures to support intercultural relations, thus laying the ground work in the long term for a healthy social cohesion on our territory.”
Participation encouraged
“I am proud of the work accomplished by our teams in setting out this action plan,” said executive-committee associate member Aline Dib, who is the city councillor for Saint-Martin and responsible for social development on the executive-committee.
“As the second-most important city for welcoming immigrants in Quebec, Laval is developing more initiatives to facilitate and encourage the full participation of persons coming from immigration in the heart of our beautiful community,” she added.
The action plan, which runs from 2023 to 2028, was largely the result of consultative workshops and group discussions held in conjunction with the Table régionale en immigration, diversité culturelle et inclusion de Laval (TRIDIL), as well as the Comité terrain pour l’accueil et l’intégration des personnes immigrantes et réfugiées à Laval.
Facts about immigration in Laval:
- On average between 2016 and 2021, Laval welcomed 3,231 persons who were immigrants, for a total of 16,155 immigrants over five years.
- The action plan is based on values emphasizing openness and respect, as well as inclusion, integration, accessibility and equity.
The regional action plan includes stated actions, as well as measures and initiatives by the city and its regional, local, community and institutional partners who share a common orientation and objectives in immigration and ethnocultural diversity.
