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A public opinion survey conducted by the Environics Institute has found that eight out of ten Canadians hold the view that immigrants help Canada’s economy grow. A total of 2008 Canadians took part in the survey named Focus Canada, which was conducted between October 7 and October 20, 2019, ahead of the Canadian federal elections held on October 21. The survey has found that the percentage of Canadians who did not agree with the statement “there is too much immigration to Canada,” grew from 59 per cent in April 2019 to 63 per cent in October 2019. At the same time, the percentage of those who agreed with the statement remained the same at 34 per cent.
According to the survey report, “a growing majority of Canadians reject the idea that their country is accepting too many immigrants.” Among the Canadian provinces and territories, support for immigration was found to be growing significantly in Atlantic Canada, the Prairies and Quebec. In Atlantic Canada, the percentage of those who supported immigration was 71 per cent. Among the participants, mainly young Canadians and women were supporters of immigration. The immigration supporters were also mostly highly educated and financially secure. On the contrary, those who held a negative opinion about immigration were mainly those who were concerned about a potential job loss in their household.
In terms of political leanings, the majority of those who held negative views about immigration to Canada were supporters of the Conservative Party. At the same time, a significant majority of the New Democratic Party held positive opinions regarding immigration. When it comes to the Liberals, almost three in four of them supported immigration to Canada.
Eighty per cent of the respondents to the survey supported the argument that “overall, immigration has a positive impact on the economy of Canada,” while 16 per cent disagreed. In Atlantic Canada, 82 per cent of the respondents agreed with the statement while in British Columbia, 84 per cent of the respondents agreed. The percentage of those who agreed with this statement in the Prairies and Alberta was 76.
However, Canadians are increasingly becoming concerned about the integration of immigrants into Canadian society. Around 50 per cent of Canadians believe that “there are too many immigrants coming into this country who are not adopting Canadian values.” This is the highest percentage recorded ever since Focus Canada surveys were introduced in 1993. But in Quebec, the percentage of those who held this opinion came down by six points to 50 per cent compared to the previous survey.
64 per cent of Canadians who participated in the survey did not agree with the statement “Canada accepts too many immigrants from racial minority groups.” This reflects a significant shift in public attitudes since the 1990s when a majority of Canadians agreed with the statement, observed the survey report. The education level of the majority of those who supported this statement was less than a high school diploma and their household income was below CDN $30,000.
Canada needs immigrants with skills and qualifications to contribute to the growth of the country’s economy. Contact us to check your eligibility for Canada migration.
