
Most Canadians still think Canada is accepting too many immigrants, and many don't trust newcomers: poll
The Leger poll found that 57% of immigrants also agree that there are too many immigrants, while 60% of non-immigrants feel that way.
The national Leger poll conducted for the Association for Canadian Studies and the Metropolis Institute found that 62 per cent of people think that the country is currently admitting too many immigrants. That’s an increase of four percentage points since pollsters last asked the question in March 2025, and more than double the number of people who felt that way six years ago. In the most recent poll, only 20 per cent disagreed and 19 per cent said they don’t know. The poll also asked Canadians if they think immigrants can be trusted. Only 42 per cent of Canadians said immigrants can be trusted and that number drops to 36 per cent when it comes to refugees. The poll found that 20 per cent of respondents think immigrants cannot be trusted and 23 per cent said refugees cannot be trusted.
“While most observers attribute the persistent concern with the numbers of refugees to economic concerns and housing challenges, the survey looks at the extent to which Canadians trust immigrants and refugees and finds that amongst those Canadians who feel that there are too many immigrants, the level of trust in refugees is especially low,” says an analysis published alongside the poll. It found that of the people who think there are too many people coming to Canada, only 32 per cent trust immigrants, while 28 per cent said they can’t be trusted. Only 24 per cent trust refugees, while 32 per cent said they cannot be trusted. “This may imply that concerns over domestic intergroup tensions may be a more important factor in concern with levels than has been previously acknowledged,” the analysis says.
The poll found that 57 per cent of immigrants also agree that there are too many immigrants, while 60 per cent of non-immigrants feel that way. Non-white people surveyed feel the strongest, with 61 per cent agreeing that there are too many immigrants, compared to 58 per cent of white people.
Upvote
18