Two-in-One Diasporas? Comparing and Contrasting Migration Management in France and Canada

How can two states claim the same diaspora? This issue is addressed in this comparative review of two models of public policy: Canada’s strategy for Francophone Immigration and France’s promotion of international mobility. Based on its century of expertise, Canada has developed a high profile migrant recruitment strategy that relies on networking activities for steering and engaging the Francophone diaspora. This strategy, carried out by government agents and professionals, has positioned Francophone migrants as ambassadors in charge of marketing Canada as a French-speaking hub. By contrast, France’s diaspora strategy is more dated: it is largely institutionalized, and aimed at protecting the rights and interests of its migrants, preserving national identity and ties, providing benefits and subsidies, and creating provisions for representation and vote facilitation. These policies are largely disconnected from Canada's strategy of boosting economic development, cultivating networks for engaging the global diaspora. The empirical data on Francophone promotion and recruitment in Quebec illustrate the extent to which a sophisticated diaspora strategy can transform imaginaries and reconfigure communities at both ends of the migration process. These findings point to the disruptive potential of contemporary diaspora strategies and call for more investigation into its political outcomes.