Canadians are more open to immigrants than ever
Sociologists found out what Canadians think about immigration and refugees, and how their opinions have changed in recent years.
The Environics Institute of Canada, in partnership with the Century Initiative, has published survey data on Canadians' views on immigration. The survey is based on telephone interviews conducted with 2,000 Canadians in September 2022. It found that Canadians have never been more welcoming than they are today.
Since the beginning of the decade, the country has faced a coronavirus pandemic, natural disasters, inflation, and soaring housing prices, but the significant increase in the number of migrants has not been a problem for Canadians. The survey showed that 7 out of 10 citizens approve of the country's high popularity among immigrants and think there should be more newcomers. This is the highest level of support for immigration in the 45-year history of this survey.
More than 80% of Canadians agree that immigration is important for sustaining the economy and increasing the country's population. A recent census showed that two-thirds of new immigrants are of working age, meaning that most of them will bring in income taxes and support health care and education.
In addition, the survey showed the highest-ever loyalty to refugees, especially from war conflict zones — Ukraine and Afghanistan. At the same time, many respondents are concerned about possible problems with the social integration of newcomers and their unpredictable influence on the local culture and values. This is especially evident in Quebec, whose immigration policies promote a uniquely French-speaking culture and identity.
However, more and more people believe that the country should be open to all races and nations without exception since multiculturalism is an important element of Canadian identity. This is a major change from similar data from the 1990s when public opinion was almost evenly divided on the issue of minority acceptance.
