According to new survey results from Leger, a lot of Canadian immigrants who arrived in the country within the past decade believe that Canada’s current immigration policies will allow “too many” newcomers.
The poll’s findings indicate that about four in 10 (42%) respondents believe that the government’s current plan permits “too many” immigrants into the country.
One-third (34%) believed the current plan would allow the “right number” of immigrants.
Leger
Cons beat Libs in race for newcomer support
Leger also asked the survey takers which political party they agreed with the most.
The support for the Conservatives and Liberals was close at 24% and 22%, respectively, while 38% said they didn’t know which party they aligned with.
Leger found that when broken down by ethnicity, the majority of South Asian (31%) and Chinese (30%) respondents found themselves “typically agreeing” with the Conservatives more.
Leger
When asked about the current state of immigration in the country, 50% of South Asian respondents said the government’s plan would allow “too many” immigrants into Canada.
Leger
The majority of South East Asian (64%) and Chinese (55%) survey takers also agreed with this sentiment.
The majority of survey respondents (57%) who said they felt the immigration targets would allow too many newcomers also identified as supporters of the Conservative party.
Feds working to “stabilize” immigration
According to the federal government, Canada aims to welcome 465,000 new permanent residents in 2023, 485,000 in 2024 and 500,000 in 2025.
However, the feds have also implemented new policies to “stabilize” immigration levels due to the current pressure on the country’s housing market.
In January, Immigration Minister Marc Miller announced a two-year cap on international student visas. Last month, the feds also said targets would be set for the number of new temporary residents arriving in Canada.
“Canada has seen a sharp increase in the volume of temporary residents in recent years from a rise of international students to more foreign workers filling vacancies to those fleeing wars and natural disasters,” Miller said in March.
Leger based its findings on an online survey of 2,000 immigrants who had arrived in Canada within the past decade, conducted between December 2023 and February 2024.