Who could absorb French warships in 1940?

Why give French warships to Dominion navies rather than newly formed Free navies?

The Dominion navies already had trained personnel and institutions, whereas new exile navies would need to build those foundations and should begin with smaller ships.

Assigning French warships to established Dominion navies was different from trying to build new Free navies from scratch. Canada, Australia, and New Zealand already possessed personnel, command structures, and ships around which larger crews could form. Exile forces often began with soldiers and sailors who had escaped occupation but lacked a complete naval institution. That made smaller ships a more realistic starting point for new Free navies unless a vessel arrived with much of its own crew and support system.