Survey reveals rising concerns about extent of immigration in Canada
Credit to Author: Canadian Immigrant| Date: Wed, 15 Nov 2023 02:08:42 +0000
A national survey on Canadian public opinion about immigration and refugees reveals shifting attitudes towards immigration in the country.
The results from the survey, conducted by the Environics Institute for Survey Research and Century Initiative, show a dramatic reversal from a year ago when public support for immigration numbers was at an all time high, reflecting a rising trend stretching back three decades.
This is largely driven by rising concerns about how newcomers may be contributing to the current housing crisis. Also contributing to this change is the fact that over the past year Canadians have become more negative about the direction of the country, the economy, and in governments’ ability to plan for future challenges.
However, there has been no corresponding change in how Canadians feel about immigrants themselves, how they integrate, and what they contribute to society. The public is much more likely to say that newcomers make their own communities a better place than a worse one.
Lisa Lalande, CEO of Century Initiative points out that the research “shows that Canadians have concerns about Canada’s ability to welcome the number of newcomers we have, but we are not seeing a rise in xenophobia or hostility to immigrants themselves.”
“The true significance of this latest shift in public opinion lies in the fact that it is the first time in many decades (if ever) that a growing number of Canadians are questioning how many immigrants are arriving in the country, as opposed to who they are and where they are coming from,” comments Keith Neuman, a senior associate with the Environics Institute, who has been tracking Canadian opinions on this issue for over 20 years.
Key highlights from the study
– The survey reports that more than four in ten Canadians now strongly (23%) or somewhat (21%) agree with the statement, “there is too much immigration to Canada,” up 17 percentage points from one year ago and the largest one-year change ever recorded on this question. Those who agree with this statement are most likely to cite concerns that newcomers may be contributing to the current housing crisis (38% of this group give this reason) compared to only 15% in 2022.
– Over the past year Canadians have become more negative about the direction of the country and the economy. Only one in three (34%) of Canadians are now satisfied with the way things are going in the country today(down 13 percentage points from 2022) and the level of pessimism about the economy is comparable to recessions over the past four decades. As in 2022, Canadians continue to identify inflation and the cost of living (24%) as the most important issue facing the country, along with the economy and interest rates (13%), with housing affordability now near the top of the list in 2023 (14%).
– A strong majority of Canadians continue to strongly (36%) or somewhat (38%) agree that “immigration has a positive impact on the economy of Canada”, but this proportion has declined by 11 points over the past year and is now at its lowest level since 1998. Most of the remainder maintain that immigrants make no difference either way (41%). Those who are positive about the impact of immigrants are most likely to say this is because they add to the local diversity and multiculturalism, with others emphasizing economic and population growth benefits.
– Respondents are most likely to want government to prioritize immigrants who contribute to the economy (those with specialized skills and good education), followed by refugees fleeing persecution and family members of current residents. Lower priority is given to temporary workers and foreign students.
This survey is based on telephone interviews conducted (via landline and cellphones) with 2,002 Canadians between September 4 and 17, 2023. The full report is available here.
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