Half of all Canadians say there are too many immigrants: poll

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Excessive immigration ranges have historically loved multi-partisan help in Canada, however half of all folks now say that there are too many newcomers, in line with a brand new ballot.

The survey carried out for the Affiliation for Canadian Research and the Metropolis Institute discovered 50 per cent of Canadians agree that there are too many immigrants coming into Canada — a quantity that has greater than doubled since January 2023 however has remained constant throughout polls carried out up to now six months.

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Final January, solely 21 per cent of Canadians mentioned there have been too many immigrants within the nation, in line with a authorities survey. They have been outnumbered by the 24 per cent of Canadians who believed there have been too few newcomers to Canada.

“This concern about immigration has traction and definitely it constitutes a problem to this consensus…. This implies it’s a departure from what we’ve seen within the earlier decade,” mentioned Jack Jedwab, president of the Affiliation for Canadian Research and the Metropolis Institute.

The polling, accomplished by Leger, comes at a time of widespread consternation over the impact excessive ranges of immigration are having on housing prices. In 2022, Canada introduced in round a million new short-term and everlasting immigrants, boosting our inhabitants over 40 million. In November 2023, the Liberal authorities introduced it could cap Canada’s annual immigrant consumption at 500,000, beginning in 2026.

Thirty-nine per cent of those that consider there’s an excessive amount of immigration in Canada consider immigrants are making the housing state of affairs worse, whereas an additional 21 per cent consider immigrants are “draining the system.”

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“They’re all rooted on this concept that our financial system is challenged at supporting this variety of immigrants, whether or not it’s housing or providers, or so forth — no less than for individuals who really feel there are too many,” mentioned Jedwab.

Amongst those that consider Canada wants extra immigration, not much less — a gaggle comprising about seven per cent of the inhabitants — 37 per cent say immigrants are wanted to fill job vacancies and 27 per cent say the nation wants newcomers to forestall inhabitants decline. (Canada’s birthrate of 1.33 youngsters per lady is on the lowest level in historical past.)

“There’s positively a major a part of the inhabitants that has considerations concerning the financial system and one other a part of the inhabitants which will have considerations concerning the financial system, however nonetheless maintains immigration is the reply,” Jedwab mentioned.

However it seems that fears about immigrants altering the social material of Canada aren’t broadly held.

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Simply 10 per cent of Canadians who assume there’s an excessive amount of immigration say their concern is that Canadians will develop into “a minority” in their very own nation. Solely eight per cent say new immigrants don’t adhere to Canadian values and simply 4 per cent consider that immigration is bringing criminals to the nation. Eighteen per cent fear that immigrants are taking jobs from Canadians.

“It’s actually extra rooted within the financial system and our capability to help this variety of immigrants with out there providers,” mentioned Jedwab.

There are additionally related ranges of concern about immigration amongst white and non-white Canadians. Fifty-one per cent of white Canadians agree there’s an excessive amount of immigration, simply 4 share factors larger than the proportion of the non-white inhabitants that holds that view.

Maritimers are probably the most immigration averse out of all of the provinces.

Fifty-nine per cent of New Brunswickers and 56 per cent of Nova Scotians consider too many immigrants are coming into the nation. They’re adopted by British Columbia, Ontario and Saskatchewan, the place 53 per cent of individuals say there are too many immigrants. About 50 per cent of Albertans agree, as do 46 per cent of Manitobans and 44 per cent of Quebecers.

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There are additionally some earnings and gender divides relating to views on immigration, notably relating to the form of immigrants Canada is permitting into the nation. Canadians incomes lower than $40,000 per yr are the more than likely (57 per cent) to consider immigration ranges are too excessive, whereas simply 46 per cent of these with an earnings of greater than $100,000 agree.

When it comes to Canada’s immigration technique, lower than 10 per cent of those that really feel there are too many immigrants rank extremely the significance of taking in refugees. As a substitute, 59 per cent say that Canada’s focus needs to be on importing expert employees. Those that consider Canada’s immigration numbers are about proper are inclined to favour household reunification (40 per cent) and refugees (22 per cent), whereas nonetheless believing (38 per cent) that expert employees are vital.

Help for short-term overseas employees and worldwide college students are low throughout the board. Solely 9 per cent of Canadians who assume there are too many immigrants and 9 per cent who assume there should not sufficient say short-term overseas employees needs to be prioritized; for worldwide college students, the quantity is 10 per cent every.

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Girls, at 18 per cent, are extra probably than males (11 per cent) to favour refugees, whereas males (53 per cent) usually tend to favour expert employees than girls (42 per cent).

The ballot was carried out between Feb. 23 and 26 with a pattern of 1,590 Canadians. A margin of error can’t be related to a non-probability pattern in a panel survey. For comparability functions, a likelihood pattern of 1,590 respondents would have a margin of error of plus or minus 2.5 per cent, 19 instances out of 20.

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