Canadians haven’t felt this strongly opposed to immigration levels in a quarter century, a turnaround of attitude in a country that once embraced newcomers but has been shaken by a post-pandemic influx.
Nearly 6 in 10 people now agree that there’s too much immigration to Canada, according to the country’s longest-running survey on the topic by the Environics Institute. It’s the first time since 1998 that this view is held by a clear majority, and a stark shift from favorable opinion over the past two decades.
The poll reflects further erosion of public support for immigration, with the proportion of Canadians opposing the volume of new arrivals surging for the second straight year. With a 31 percentage point jump since 2022, it’s the most rapid change over a two-year period since the survey began in 1977.
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