CHANDIGARH: A majority of Canadians now feel there is too much immigration in the country, with six in ten (58 per cent) believing Canada accepts too many immigrants, according to a study titled Canadian Public Opinion about Immigration and Refugees. Conducted by the Environics Institute, this research—Canada's longest-running survey—was published on the Institute's website this week.
Founded by Michael Adams in 2006, the Environics Institute aims to conduct in-depth public opinion and social research on issues shaping Canada’s future. The latest Focus Canada study highlights a significant shift in public sentiment, noting a 14-percentage point increase since 2023 in the number of Canadians who feel immigration levels are excessive.
This builds on a 17-point rise from the previous year (2022 to 2023), marking the fastest change over two years since Focus Canada first asked this question in 1977. The current level reflects the highest proportion of Canadians expressing this view since 1998.
“The latest findings suggest the balance of public opinion about the volume of immigration currently being admitted into the country has effectively flipped from being acceptable (if not valuable) to problematic,” the study notes.
The study further reveals that opinions on immigration diverge sharply across federal political party lines, with 80 per cent of Conservative Party supporters agreeing that Canada accepts too many immigrants. Similar sentiments have increased among supporters of the Liberal Party (45 per cent) and NDP (36 per cent) as well.
“Public support for immigration has been grounded in large part in the belief that it contributes to the country's economy. For two decades, a decisive majority of Canadians have adopted this view, but rising concerns about immigration levels appear to be eroding this consensus. Close to seven in ten (68 per cent) agree that immigration has a positive impact on the Canadian economy, but this majority has declined for the second consecutive year. Since 2023, this view has weakened most significantly in the Prairie provinces and among Canadians aged 18 to 29,” it adds.
Among those who feel the country is accepting too many immigrants, concerns include housing shortages, the state of the economy, over-population, and the strain on public finances. A notable change from the previous year is the rise in belief that immigration is poorly managed by the government.
“Over the past year, an increasing proportion of Canadians agree that many people claiming to be refugees are not real refugees (43 per cent, up 7 points from 2023) and that too many immigrants are not adopting Canadian values (57 per cent, up 9). In both cases, the balance of opinion reflects a notable uptick in concerns following several years of stability. On this question, the balance of opinion is the same between racialized Canadians and those who identify as white,” the report states.
A growing minority of Canadians now believe the country accepts too many immigrants from racial minority groups (39 per cent, up 15 points from 2022) and that immigration contributes to an increase in crime rates (35 per cent, up 21 points from 2019).