A new national poll suggests that concerns over mass immigration are higher among non-white Canadians than white Canadians, and even immigrants themselves are increasingly voicing concerns about current immigration levels.
The Leger survey, conducted for the
Association for Canadian Studies and the Metropolis Institute, found that 62 per cent of Canadians believe the country is accepting too many immigrants, a four-point increase since March and nearly double the proportion who held that view in 2019.
Non-white respondents were more likely than white respondents to agree with that view. Sixty-one per cent of non-white Canadians said immigration levels were too high, compared to 58 per cent of white respondents.
Immigrants themselves held nearly identical views to white Canadians, with 57 per cent saying that Canada was accepting too many immigrants.
The findings contradict a common political narrative that opposition to
mass migration is concentrated among white or non-immigrant Canadians.
The poll also inquired about how much Canadians trust immigrants and refugees.
Only 42 per cent of respondents said immigrants can be trusted, with the number dropping to 36 per cent when asked about those on refugee status.
Twenty per cent of respondents said they do not trust immigrants, while 23 per cent said the same about refugees.
White Canadians were also more likely to trust refugees (37 per cent) than non-white Canadians (33 per cent).
The majority of respondents reported concern with mass immigration nationwide. The highest rate was reported in Atlantic Canada (71 per cent), followed by Alberta (65 per cent), Quebec (63 per cent), Ontario (63 per cent), Saskatchewan (54 per cent) and British Columbia (52 per cent).
Refugee claimants were more likely to be trusted by non-immigrant Canadians (38 per cent) than fellow immigrants themselves (33 per cent), and were most likely to be distrusted by non-white people (28 per cent), higher than white people (22 per cent).
A
Bank of Canada report published in May shows that Indian and Middle Eastern mass migration contributed to the suppression of wages for Canadians.
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