New poll finds clear majority of Canadians say there is too much of immigration

A clear majority of Canadians surveyed say there is too much immigration into the country, according to a new poll, marking the second consecutive year this view has gained support.

 

Fifty-eight per cent of respondents say there is too much immigration, up 14 percentage points from similar research last year, according to Environics Institute research. That followed a 17-per-cent increase between 2022 and 2023.

 

Environics says the surge is the most rapid change of opinion on this issue since it began asking the question in the 1970s through a public-opinion research program.

 

But the research also found that 68 per cent of respondents say immigration has a positive impact, though Environics says that number is on the decline for the second consecutive year.

 

The federal government is set to release a three-year plan for immigration levels by Nov. 1.

 

The research found rising agreement that there is too much immigration across Canada, consistent with the previous year. The Prairie provinces reflected the most substantial shift with overall agreement up 34 percentage points in Manitoba and Saskatchewan, and Alberta up 17 points.

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Quebec had the lowest level of agreement with fewer than half of Quebeckers agreeing. In Ontario, 63 per cent agreed, up 13 percentage points from 2023.

 

The findings, based on interviews with more than 2,000 respondents in September, echo recent surveys by public-opinion researchers that suggested concern about immigration numbers.

 

In its 2023-2025 immigration-levels plan, the federal government set a 2023 target of 465,000 new permanent residents, a 485,000 target in 2024 and 500,000 for 2025.

 

Keith Neuman, a senior associate with the Environics Institute, says his organization has consistently found a consensus that immigration was either positive for Canada or not a problem.

 

But he said Canadians have been growing more concerned about the volume of immigrants. “There are worries and concerns about immigration that we simply didn’t see two years ago to the same extent,” he said in an interview.

 

However, he said Canadians are not rejecting immigration entirely. “People still value the diversity. They still recognize the economic benefits. They understand that jobs need to be filled. Those things are still part of the general sentiment of the population for most people.

 

“But there are increasing concerns with how the system is being managed and the number of people coming.”

Among the findings of the researchers is a 10-point increase, to 21 per cent, in those who believe there is too much immigration because it is being poorly managed by government.

 

Asked about the Environics poll results, the office of federal Immigration Minister Marc Miller said it is not hearing that Canadians dislike immigrants, but that Canadians want a well-managed and sustainable system.

 

A statement issued by Mr. Miller’s communications director Aissa Diop cited several policy actions by the government, and said the 2025-2027 immigration-levels plan that the minister will release will focus on aligning the number of newcomers to Canada’s available resources to support them, and welcoming newcomers with the skills needed in the Canadian labour market.

 

“We hear the concerns voiced by Canadians. We understand how a responsibly managed immigration system is critical to protecting and maintaining Canada’s decades-long consensus on immigration,” said the statement.

 

Among those saying there is too much immigration, concerns include pressure on the housing market (33 per cent, down five points since 2023), the weak economy (29 per cent, up four points), overpopulation (25 per cent, up six points) and immigrants placing a drain on public finances (20 per cent, down five points).

 

The survey was based on land line and cellphone interviews with 2,016 respondents aged 18 and over between Sept. 9 and 23. With this sample size, the results are considered accurate to within plus-or-minus 2.2 percentage points in 19 out of 20 samples.

 

The research was conducted in partnership with the Diversity Institute at Toronto Metropolitan University and support from the Century Initiative.

 

 

 

 

This article was first reported by The Globe and Mail