Canadian sentiment on immigration rebounds, survey finds

A new survey in Canada has found that public opinion towards immigrants is turning more positive after years of negativity. This was among the major findings of Focus Canada report on views on immigration released by the Toronto-based Environics Institute for Survey Research on Monday, ahead of the Canadian government announcing its new immigration levels plan next month.Canada Prime Minister Mark Carney. (Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press v)The survey was conducted in September. It found the respondents evenly split on the question of whether there is too much immigration to the country. An equal 48% agreed and disagreed with the question, marking a shift in opinion over the last couple of years.Environics said that “after a year of little change in 2025 – public opinion has begun to swing back toward more openness on immigration” and “is somewhat less concerned this year about the overall level of immigration, and the possible negative impact of immigration on the economy and jobs.”That is in contrast to the situation earlier. The surge in numbers of immigrants after the Covid-19 pandemic waned led to severe criticism of then Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his government. That “was accompanied by a stark shift in public opinion”, Environics noted, as between 2022 and 2024, its surveys “tracked a doubling in the proportion of Canadians who agree that there is too much immigration (from 27% to 58%).”That put pressure on the government to reduce the quantum of immigration, which had reached 2.1 million newcomers in 2023. Reduction in intake was implemented in 2024 and continues under Prime Minister Mark Carney. However, Ottawa has indicated that trend may change when the levels plan is presented in November, with both Carney and Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Minister Lena Metlege Diab indicating as much in recent weeks.Environics also pointed out that a “large majority of Canadians”, 75%, continue to agree that overall, immigration has a positive impact on the country’s economy. “The level of agreement fell from 85% in 2022 to 68% in 2024, but has now partially rebounded, increasing by five points (from 70% to 75%) over the past year,” it said.The survey was undertaken in partnership with the Toronto Metropolitan University’s Diversity Institute.