Canada Divided on Immigration
Even immigrants themselves are split on the need for more newcomers to Canada
Newly released polling from the Association for Canadian Studies, and conducted by Leger, suggests Canadians remain quite negative towards immigration, despite the reduction in immigration targets by the federal government.
The survey asked whether Canadians agreed or disagreed with the idea that Canada needs new immigrants. Overall, 60% said that Canada does not need new immigrants, while 40% said we do.
Non-immigrant respondents were much more likely to say Canada has no need for new immigrants, with 63% saying as much, while 37% said the opposite.
Immigrants in Canada were almost evenly split, with 52% agreeing with the notion that Canada needs new immigrants, while 48% disagreed with the assertion.
The youngest share of Canadians, those between 18 and 24, and the oldest share, those over 65, were equally likely to agree that Canada needs new immigrants at 46% each, while those between the two age brackets were much more negative.
The age bracket with the highest rate of disagreement on the question was among those between 25 and 34, while those between 35 and 64 were not far behind, as all of those brackets sit above 60% in their disagreement with the idea that Canada needs new immigrants.
When the question is broken down by province, those in Ontario and Alberta were the most likely to disagree with the idea that Canada needs new immigrants, at 63% and 65% respectively. Those in Quebec were close behind at 61%.
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The other question the survey asked was whether Canadians agreed that immigrants to Canada should give up their customs and traditions and adopt those of the majority.
This question was much more divided, with 51% of Canadians agreeing that immigrants should integrate culturally into Canadian society, while 49% disagreed with the idea.
Those in Quebec and Alberta were the most likely to agree that immigrants should integrate, at 60% and 55% respectively. Those are also the only two provinces in which a majority of respondents agreed with the statement, as those in the other provinces ranged between 46% and 49% in their agreement, with the central prairies being the lowest.
The question showed a similar rate of division between younger and older Canadians. Those between 18 and 24 were the most opposed to the idea that immigrants should give up their customs and traditions, with only 40% agreeing.
Older Canadians were much more likely to agree with the idea that immigrants should adopt the traditions and customs of the majority, with those over 65 being the most likely to agree at 58%.
There was also a notable gender split, with 59% of men agreeing that immigrants should give up their customs and adopt those of the majority, while only 44% of women said the same thing.
Overall, the survey shows that Canadians remain divided on immigration, suggesting Trudeau’s previous immigration policy is weighing heavily on the minds of Canadians, even after targets were reduced.