Six in 10 Canadians against immigration: Study

The majority of Canadians feel there is too much immigration in the country. According to a new study by the Environics Institute, public support for immigration in Canada is decreasing.

The Asian Pacific Post reported on Sunday that according to the country's longest-running survey on the topic of immigration by the Environics Institute, almost six in ten (58%) Canadians now believe the country accepts too many immigrants.

“This reflects a 14 percentage point increase since 2023, building on a 17-point increase over the previous year (2022 to 2023),” the study uploaded on the Institute’s website this week.

The Environics Institute for Survey Research was established by Michael Adams in 2006 to conduct in-depth public opinion and social research on the issues shaping Canada’s future. “It is through such research that Canadians can better understand themselves and their changing society,” the institute says on its website.

Notably, the study pointed out, “Over the past year, an increasing proportion of Canadians agree that many people claiming to be refugees are not real refugees (43%, up 7 points from 2023) and that too many immigrants are not adopting Canadian values (57%, up 9); in both cases the balance of opinion reflects a notable uptick in concerns following several years of notable stability. On this question, the balance of opinion is the same between racialized Canadians and those who identify as white.”

The study said this was a fast change ‘over a two-year period since Focus Canada began asking this question in 1977 and reflects the largest proportion of Canadians who say there is too much immigration since 1998.’

The study mentions, “For the first time in a quarter century, a clear majority of Canadians say there is too much immigration, with this view strengthening considerably for the second consecutive year. This trend is evident across the population but is most significant in the Prairie provinces, while least so in Quebec.”

It said Conservative Party supporters mostly agreed about too much immigration (now up to 80%) while 45% of Liberal Party (45%) and 36% NDP feel the same.

Though almost seven in ten (68%) agree that immigration has a positive impact on the Canadian economy, this number has declined for the second consecutive year. Since 2023, this view has weakened most significantly in the Prairie provinces and among young Canadians ages 18 to 29.

Regarding the reasons to discourage immigration, Canadians opined in the study they had ‘concerns about how newcomers can be accommodated given the lack of housing availability and affordability, as well as concerns about the state of the economy, about overpopulation, and the potential strain on public finances.’

In Canada's latest Immigration Levels Plan for 2024-2026, the country intends to welcome 485,000 new immigrants in 2024 and another 500,000 additional immigrants in both 2025 and 2026, the Asia Pacific Post said.