Canadian Public Opinion About Immigration and Refugees

The Environics Institute has released the results of a survey conducted on Canadian attitudes about immigration and refugees.

In recent years Canada has developed a reputation as a beacon of multi-culturalism and diversity. But has the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic reduced the openness of Canadians to newcomers?

To answer this question, the Environics Institute conducted a survey, in partnership with the Century Initiative and the University of Ottawa Faculty of Social Sciences, on Canadian attitudes about immigration and refugees. The survey is based on telephone interviews conducted with 2,000 Canadians between September 8 and 23, 2020. 

The survey found that Canadians have become more open to newcomers, rather than less.  Many Canadians express comfort with current immigration levels, see immigrants as good for the Canadian economy, and believe that immigration is essential to building the country’s population.  

What lies behind this growing public support for immigration and refugees is not immediately apparent. It may be in part a response to the pandemic. It could also be a reaction to the  political turmoil in the United States. And it may reflect a solidifying public consensus that Canada’s economy depends on newcomers, especially in the aftermath of the pandemic.

Read the report on the Environics Institute’s website