Keep on Tracking: Immigration
and Public Opinion in Canada?
Jack Jedwab
Executive Director
Association for Canadian Studies
Metropolis Canada
Vancouver, British Columbia
March 24, 2006
1. Introduction
• -Public opinion surveys on social issues can be a powerfully
important tool not only in reflecting opinion but sometimes in shaping
it. Immigration is by no means an exception as inquiries are often a
vital part of social marketing campaigns aimed at modifying public
opinion on a given matter. Hence the message and the medium are
often interconnected
• -Public opinion surveys frequently provide a snapshot reflecting the
views of the population at a given point in time and are often
influenced by events either domestically or internationally. These
events might be described as pivotal moments. The events of
September 11th, 2001 are widely regarded as a turning point that
affected public opinion in a number of areas and hence have
constituted a benchmark for many analysts that monitor change in
attitudes.
1. Introduction
•
•
-When it comes to identifying key immigration issues ongoing discursive
challenge are reflected in the way questions are formulated. Very often
assumptions are built into questions on immigration and this may contribute
to generating conclusions about public opinion that support a particular
hypothesis. This is reflected not only in the way that questions are
sometimes put about levels of immigration as well as closely related issues.
The result is that contradictory outcomes arise.
-Testing knowledge on immigration sometimes assumes awareness
amongst those surveyed about levels of immigration and the substance of
immigration and/or related policies (i.e. multiculturalism or security). Hence
as we will observe some questions about levels of immigration-perhaps the
most popular area for testing- ask about satisfaction with numbers without
providing them while others indicate the numbers and proceed to ask the
public what they think. A less frequent approach might be to ask Canadians
how many immigrants they think a country receives and then elicit opinion
about the levels. Each approach has its limits.
1. Introduction
•
•
•
-Policy makers need to be careful about being guided by public opinion on
immigration questions when such opinion can be fluid. But from a social
marketing standpoint if the government seeks public support for immigration
levels and related policy issues than it may choose to unpack the data to
determine which segments of the population expressing either the most
support or concern over the issues and attempt to better comprehend why
this is so.
-There is need to better understand the way attitudes to levels of
immigration relate to connected issues such as integration, multiculturalism,
discrimination and national identity. Assumptions are often made that
openness to immigration implies generally positive attitudes across the
spectrum of diversity issues. While this may seem apparent too many,
attitudes do not commonly a logical pattern and the manner in which they
measured may contribute to a mixed bag when it comes to immigration?
-What assumptions should we make around divisions in opinion on
immigration? Where identifiable should social marketing campaigns be
directed at segments of the society that are less supportive of immigration?
2. Levels of Immigration
•
•
•
•
•
Approaches to asking about levels of immigration sometimes appear to be taking a page from the
story of the three bears. Some will recall that the baby bear concerned with the temperature of the
porridge first got it too hot and too cold before it was just about right. In the case of immigration
surveys most indeed ask whether the annual numbers are too high, too low or just about right,
whether there are too many or too few immigrants (or not enough immigrants), whether the levels
of immigration should be increased, decreased or stay the same. The options provided can have
an important impact on the results and thereafter the way they are ‘spun’ by those interpreting
them. In effect if the conclusion is that ‘too many’ Canadians are concerned with immigration
levels this may result in additional resources for immigrant immigration. If not than it may reinforce
the view that the current policy direction is correct.
In the January 2006 Ipsos survey, the question was put as follows:
Currently Canada accepts about 225 000 immigrants each year, is the number
Too High (44%), Too Low (10%), About Right (34%) or Don’t Know (12%).
A Gallup International Poll in three countries conducted in late November and early December
2005, asked whether you would like to see the level of immigration in this country increased,
decreased, or remain about the same? About as many Canadians, in fact, say that they would like
immigration increased as say they would like to have it decreased. The majority of Canadians
(58%) seem content to have immigration levels remain the same.
The Gallup analyst concluded that Canadians remain much more positive about immigration than
residents in the United States and in Great Britain who were far more likely to want to reduce the
levels of immigration to their countries.
2. Levels of Immigration
Increased Decreased
Remain
No Opinion
the same
United States-1 6
58
35
1
Canada-2
19 (25)
58 (56)
1 (2)
60
33
3
22 (17)
Great Britain-3 4
Source: Gallup, February 22, 2006, 1-Gallup, September 12-15, 2005, 2-Gallup, November 30December 20, 2005 and in brackets, August 22-31, 2005, -Gallup, August 26-September 8, 2005
2. Levels of Immigration
• The international comparison can be most relevant in social
marketing campaigns. It permits Canada to boast about its record on
immigration matters and provide reinforcement to take pride in the
country’s openness. As revealed in a March 2004 survey, when
contrasted with several other countries Canadians continue to be
the most inclined to support increases in immigration levels
(Carleton University Survey Centre for ISSP, March-April, 2004).
Along with Australia, Canada appears most favorable to immigration.
Still before making strong conclusions about such results it would be
useful look at why this is so. Notably in Europe, observers have
argued that the greater openness of the two countries is connected
to their accessibility to immigrants and connected to these national
immigration policies that tend to be more selective than is the case
elsewhere.
Number of immigrants coming to
country Crosstabulation Count
Total
Canada (CA)
Australia (AU)
New Zealand (NZ)
Sweden (SE)
United States (US)
Ireland (IE)
France (FR)
Norway (NO)
Austria (AT)
Great Britain (GB)
Switzerland (CH)
Germany-West (DEW)
Portugal (PT)
Number of immigrants coming to
country
Increase Remain the
Decrease
same
11.1%
32.9%
56%
29.1%
23.4%
15.7%
11.9%
11.3%
9.2%
7.7%
7.1%
6.8%
5.8%
5.7%
5.4%
38.7%
37.6%
27.7%
30.3%
32.4%
32.1%
26.2%
21.6%
32.2%
16.4%
49.7%
24.3%
32.2%
39%
56.6%
57.8%
56.3%
58.7%
66.1%
71.3%
61%
77.8%
44.6%
70.3%
3.1%
40.7%
56.2%
Levels of Immigration
•
•
•
•
•
Ideally opinion on immigration should be put in some historic context so there appear to be
operating in a vacuum. Very often without situating opinion in time the population has no reference
through which to determine whether a profound change has occurred in thinking about the issue.
The September 11th events were the cause of much concern about immigration and public
opinion surveys were multiplied in an effort test its impact.
In February 2002 a Leger Marketing poll found that more than half of Canadians believe that
Canada accepts too many immigrants. The question was put as follows: In your opinion, does
Canada accept Too Many (54%), Not Enough (26%) or Don’t Know (20%). Again the way the
options are presented to respondents wherein the ‘about right’ reply is dropped in favor of the
‘don’t know’ category makes for a different outcome and interpretation around feelings over levels.
The Leger poll designed as a post-September 11th follow up differs from Environics historic polling
which suggests more openness to immigrants with a different question formulation.
According to the Environcs survey, in October 2001, the number of Canadians who say this
country allows in the right number of immigrants stands at 50 per cent, up three percentage points
from the weeks immediately following the September 11 attacks but similar to levels recorded
previously. However, those who say Canada lets in too many immigrants (36%) is more than five
times the number of those who say we let in too few immigrants (7%).
The effect of the September 11 terrorist attacks led to a slight increase in the number of
Canadians who think there are too many immigrants allowed into this country but is remains down
significantly (-10 percentage points) from levels recorded in January 1996.
Levels of Immigration
In your opinion, do you feel that there are too many, too few, or about the right number of
immigrants coming to Canada? N=2003ber of Immigrants Coming to Canada (%)
Too many
About the right
Too few
number
Jan
46
42
6
96
Jan
41
47
8
98
Jan
38
47
9
99
Jan
37
50
12
00
Mar
33
51
13
01
Jun
34
49
12
01
Sept
36
47
11
01
Oct
36
50
7
01
Social Cohesion in Canada, Environics Research Group
Unpacking Public Opinion on
Immigration Levels
• -Women (39%) are more likely than are men (32%) to say that the
country permits too many immigrants in the country.
• Belief that Canada takes in too many immigrants increases with age,
from 31 percent among those between 18 and 29 years of age to
41percent among those 60 years of age and older. Likewise, the
proportion who says that Canada lets in the right number of
immigrants decreases with age, from a high of 57 percent in the
youngest age group to a low of 47 percent in the oldest age group
(but still a plurality).
• Canadians with less than a high school diploma are most likely to
say too many immigrants are coming here (49%) compared to those
who’ve completed high school (44%), community college (39%),
some university (29%) or a university degree (23%).
Unpacking Public Opinion on
Immigration Levels
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Canadians with an income of less than $30,000 per year are most likely to say too
many immigrants are coming here (39%), than those with an income of $30,000$50,000 (35%), $50,000-$70,000 (33%), or over $70,000 (30%).
Canadians who work full-time (49%), work part-time (47%), unemployed (56%),
Anglophones (38%) are more likely than are Francophones (30%) to say that too
many immigrants are coming to Canada, while Francophones are more likely to say
the right number of immigrants are being let in (59%) than are Anglophones (47%).
Visible minorities are more likely to say Canada has too many immigrants (45%) than
are other Canadians (34%).
Canadians who do not belong to visible minority groups are more likely to say
Canada is letting in the right number of immigrants (51%) than are visible minority
Canadians (44%).
Canadians who have no friends from other cultural or ethnic groups in their social
circle are most likely to say too many immigrants are let into Canada (57%)
compared to those who have a few friends (32%), an equal number of friends (33%),
or most of their friends (29%) from other ethnic or cultural backgrounds than their
own. Similarly,
Environics, Social Cohesion –2002
4. Influence of Immigrants
• Another popular question that is commonly put to the population
involves the influence of immigrants. Influence can undoubtedly be a
multifaceted notion touching on issues of economy and culture. The
January 2006 Ipsos survey reports that more than half of Canadians
(52%) believe immigrants are having a “good influence” on the way
things are going in Canada - while 40% feel that immigrants are
having a “bad influence”.
• Regardless of opinion about levels of immigration, the Leger
Marketing poll (February 2002) reveals that 75.0% feel that
immigrants make an economic contribution and 83.6% that they
make a positive cultural contribution to the country (an issue
explored in the next section).
• International surveys place Canadians high in terms of the extent to
which they favorably regard the economic impact of immigrants.
4. Influence of Immigrants
Are immigrants generally good for [country’s] economy? Crosstabulation count
Immigrants are generally good for [Country’s]
economy
Agree
Neither agree nor
Disagree
disagree
Total
37.9%
29.3%
32.8%
Australia (AU)
70.5%
21.2%
8.3%
Canada (CA)
62.7%
24.8%
12.5%
New Zealand (NZ)
59%
25.9%
15.1%
Portugal (PT)
57.4%
21.6%
21%
Switzerland (CH)
53.4%
22.8%
23.8%
United States (US)
45.4%
30%
24.6%
Sweden (SE)
44.3%
35.5%
20.2%
Ireland (IE)
39.6%
21.2%
39.2%
Austria (AT)
38.2%
29.2%
32.6%
France (FR)
35.1%
29%
35.9%
Norway (NO)
30.4%
38.4%
31.2%
Germany-West (DE- 28.6%
39.4%
32%
W)
Great Britain (GB)
21.6%
36.8%
41.6%
Source: Carleton University Survey Centre for the International Social Science Program,
2004
4. Influence of Immigrants
•
•
•
Traditionally most analysts have contended that when the economy is weak
there is less support for immigration and support is greater when the
economy is strong. But public opinion no longer seems to follow such cycles
in the same way that it presumably did through much of the twentieth
century.
That said, the broadly positive view of immigrants contribution to the
Canadian economy seems somewhat undercut by the perception of an
important minority that immigrants fuel unemployment.
The 2006 Ipsos reveals that 46% feel that immigrants coming to Canada
today mostly “take jobs that Canadians don’t want” and a further 19% feel
they “create new jobs for themselves”. Only one in five (22%) think
immigrants “take away jobs from Canadians” and 13% say they don’t know
(January 2006, Ipsos-Reid). Women (25%) are somewhat more likely than
men (19%) and non-immigrants (23%) more so than immigrants (13%) feel
that they take jobs away from Canadians. Internationally Canadians are just
below the average on this question which is surprising when considering
how high they rank in their view of the positive view of immigration on the
economy.
4. Influence of Immigrants
Do immigrants take jobs away from people who were born in [Country] Crosstabulation
count
Total
Immigrants take jobs away from people born in
[Country]
Agree
Neither agree nor
Disagree
disagree
28.2%
20.6%
51.2%
Switzerland (CH)
17.3%
16.3%
66.4%
Sweden (SE)
7.8%
27.2%
65%
Norway (NO)
14.9%
23.5%
61.6%
France (FR)
25.7%
20.8%
53.5%
Australia (AU)
25.4%
25%
49.6%
Canada (CA)
27%
23.8%
49.2%
Ireland (IE)
44.6%
12.5%
42.9%
New Zealand (NZ)
35.3%
24.5%
40.2%
Austria (AT)
40%
22.9%
37.1%
United States (US)
43%
22.8%
34.2%
Portugal (PT)
55.4%
12.3%
32.3%
Germany-West (DE- 38.7%
29.3%
32%
W)
Great Britain (GB)
44.8%
50.6%
28.6%
Source: Carleton University Survey Centre for the International Social Science Program,
2004
4. Influence of Immigrants
• Paradoxically immigrants are seen quite
widely seen as good for the economy and
on the other hand viewed by some as
taking jobs away from ‘Canadians’
• Forty-eight percent of Canadians who are
very worried about the economy also think
that too many immigrants are let into the
country, compared to 35 percent who are
not worried about the economy at all.
5. Immigration, Multiculturalism
and Integration
• Most Canadians appreciate our multicultural reality and
the stigma historically attached to that term by some
segments of the population has been eroding over the
years. Indeed the positive view of multiculturalism as an
important Canadian value is partly attributable to
successful social marketing of diversity to the population
and notably to the younger generation. Still the meaning
and challenges of incorporating diversity into Canadian
society are the object of division within public opinion for
many these are more relevant than the attachment to the
concept of multiculturalism.
5. Immigration, Multiculturalism
and Integration
• When it comes to questions about multiculturalism the goods news
is reflected in some of the findings below:
• -75% agree that It is better for Canada to have a variety of people
with different religions
• -74% agree Canada’s multicultural make-up is one of the best things
about this country
• (January 2006,Ipsos)
• -64% disagree that It is better for Canada if almost everyone shares
the same customs and traditions
• -47% say immigrants from different cultures have made our culture
stronger (37%) or much stronger (10%), compared to 28 percent
who say they have had a neutral effect and 23 percent who say this
has made our culture weaker (18%) or much weaker (5%).
5. Immigration, Multiculturalism
and Integration
• Canadians are more likely to have favorable impressions of the
contributions of immigrants as their education increases, with 56
percent of those with university degrees saying that immigration has
made Canadian culture stronger compared to 41 percent of those
with less than a high-school diploma. Community size remains a key
factor in determining attitudes toward the effect of immigration on
our culture. For rural communities under 10,000 people, 44 percent
say immigrants have made Canadian culture stronger but that
number increases to 50 percent among those living in major
metropolitan areas.
• Internationally Canadians rank well above the international average
in the degree to which they regard the immigrant contribution
positively.
5. Immigration, Multiculturalism
and Integration
Do Immigrants improve [Country Nationality] society by bringing in new ideas and
cultures?
Total
Immigrants improve [Country Nationality] society
by bringing in new ideas and cultures
Agree
Neither agree nor
Disagree
disagree
47.3%
26.2%
26.5%
Switzerland (CH)
76.8%
13.5%
9.7%
Canada (CA)
67.2%
20.4%
12.4%
New Zealand (NZ)
60.4%
23%
16.6%
Sweden (SE)
58.5%
27%
14.5%
Australia (AU)
57.8%
17.2%
8%
United States (US)
57.2%
24.7%
18.1%
Ireland (IE)
57.1%
15.4%
27.5%
Germany-West (DE- 56.5%
24.9%
18.6%
W)
Portugal (PT)
53.2%
24.4%
22.4%
Austria (AT)
46.6%
24%
29.4%
Norway (NO)
42.4%
30.6%
27%
France (FR)
41.3%
24.7%
34%
Great Britain (GB)
33.6%
35.6%
30.8%
Source: Carleton University Survey Centre for the International Social Science Program,
2004
5. Immigration, Multiculturalism
and Integration
•
•
There has been a tendency to detach the immigration data and its dissemination from
findings on issues relating to multiculturalism. Once part of the same of the
government department, immigration is now tied to citizenship while multiculturalism
is part of Canadian Heritage. There remain very strong connections between the two
and the intersection is particularly evident when it comes to the issues of integration
and adaptation. As to the terms are not always well defined it is this area where
public opinion may seem contradictory to some observers. In the public arena,
detractors of immigration and multiculturalism have frequently made use of data that
reflects the concern of Canadians around issues of integration and adaptation.
Supporters of multiculturalism have made use of the data that points to the degree to
which the population and notably the younger generation value multiculturalism and
the relatively good support for levels of immigration.
There is some consistency when combining answers to questions about immigration
levels and the contribution of immigrants to the cultural enrichment of Canada. The
2002 Environics reveals that those feeling that Canada is accepting too many
immigrants show the lowest rate of strong agreement (20%), those who feel that we
are accepting the right number of immigrants agree more intensely (48%) and those
who feel that we are accepting too few immigrants agree most intensely (62%) that
people from different racial and cultural groups are enriching the cultural life of
Canada.
5. Immigration, Multiculturalism
and Integration
•
•
But for many the cracks in the mosaic of Canadian public opinion emerge with the
difficult questions about integration and adaptation. In part it is because it is assumed
that supporters of multiculturalism do not accept the possibility that those valuing the
diversity of the country’s population think that minority groups should try to be more
like most other Canadians-however defined. Such questions which tend to be
common to surveys on integration make assumptions about not only about what it
means to be like most other Canadians but also use minority group which is
increasingly something according to which most Canadians can define themselves.
Nonetheless, at least notionally, Canadians are divided on the best approach to
immigrant/minority adaptation. And as opinion makers continually debate the meaning
of adaptation we can expect the public to be confused and the survey results to
reflect such confusion. In 2002, while 43 percent of Canadians feel that the higher
priority for Canada is to encourage Canadians to try to accept members of minority
groups and their customs and languages, another 45 percent feel that the higher
priority is for minority groups to try to change to be more like most Canadians, 7%
feel that neither option is valid and 5% cannot say or do not know. In comparison, in
1998, Angus Reid reported that 52 percent of Canadians felt that minority groups
should be encouraged to try to change to be more like most Canadians. However, the
proportion that feels that Canadians should accept minority groups and their customs
and languages remains unchanged from 1998.
5. Immigration, Multiculturalism
and Integration
•
•
•
Perceptions in this regard seem to vary with strong agreement with the
extent to which multicultural society is considered a cornerstone of
Canadian culture. Thus, 51% of those who feel that Canadians should try to
accept minority groups and their customs and languages also strongly
agree that multiculturalism in this country is a cornerstone of our culture.
Conversely, only one quarter (24%) of those who feel that we should
encourage minority groups to change to be more like Canadians also
strongly agree that multiculturalism is a cornerstone of our culture.
Conversely, only one in five (20%) of those who feel that we should
encourage minority groups to change to be more like Canadians also
strongly agree that multiculturalism is a cornerstone of our culture.
Those who feel that there are too many immigrants in Canada prioritize
minority groups becoming more like other Canadians (61%) over the
acceptance of their customs and languages (31%). In contrast, those who
see the number of immigrants in Canada as too few or about right prioritize
acceptance (56% and 50% respectively) over adjustment (32% and 37%
respectively).
5. Immigration, Multiculturalism
and Integration
•
•
•
Women (45%) more intensely than men (41%) feel that the higher priority is that
Canadians should try to accept minority groups and their customs and languages.
One-third (34%) of those between 18 and 29 years of age prioritize minority groups
changing to be more like Canadians. However, agreement with this approach as a
priority increases to 43 percent of those between 30 and 44 years old, 49 percent of
those between 45 and 59 years old and more than half (54%) of those who are 60
years old or older. Conversely, three in five Canadians in the youngest age group
(59%) feel that it should be a higher priority for Canadians to accept minorities, their
customs and languages. This level of agreement decreases to 45 percent of those
between 30 and 44 years old, 37 percent of those between 45 and 59 years old and
only three in ten (30%) of those in the oldest age group (60 years and older).
Acceptance versus Acculturation as a Priority by Age (%)
In a 2004 Environics when asked which of the following two statements do you think
best describes the impact of Canada's multiculturalism policy half of Canadians
surveyed agreed that it helps people with various backgrounds and religions to fully
integrate to fully integrate into Canadian society while 40% maintained that it causes
some groups to never fully integrate into Canadian society. In this case the word
minority groups is not used and the question uses the positively resonating term
multiculturalism which may soften the integration concern.
6. Immigration and Racism
• Though Canadians have a generally positive view of immigrants
some 70% of the population think anti-immigrant sentiment
represents a serious problem in Canadian society (combined very
and somewhat serious problem)? On that positive side, the post 911 survey conducted in 2002 by Leger Marketing reveals that some
83.3% of Canadians feel that Canada should keep its borders open
to people of Arab descent or Muslim faith while 12.3% would like
Canada to deny them access. But while favorable Canadians are
willing to make significant distinctions in their preferred source
countries when asked about where they would like immigrants to
come from.
• Some 61.1% of Canadians say they are favorable to immigrants
from Western Europe while this rate falls to 34.4% when it comes to
immigrants from Arab countries. Other groups of immigrants were
favored in the following order: Eastern Europe (56.2%), Latin
America (52.9%), Asia (49.9%), Black Africa (49.8%) and North
Africa (47.2%).
7. Immigration and Security
• And despite the openness to immigration the growing concern over
security since 9-11 may have added modified the bar for maintaining
the current degree of support for immigration. Some 83.5% think
that Canada should be stricter when it comes to immigration. About
41.1% of Canadians think that the Government of Canada should be
less open with regard to political refugees, while 24.0% would like to
be more open and 29.4% find that the current level of openness
should remain as it is. Nine Canadian out of ten would like
immigrants who have not yet obtained their Canadian citizenship to
have a photo ID card.
• Of course security concerns around immigration have risen in all
immigrant receiving countries. But Canada does remain quite
progressive in its rejection of immigrant stereotypes as revealed
below where compared to other countries it is the least likely to
agree with the idea that immigrants increase crime rates.
7. Immigration and Security
Do Immigrants increase crime rates?
Country
Immigrants increase crime rates
Agree
Neither agree nor
Disagree
disagree
Total
50.5%
28.7%
20.8%
Canada (CA)
27.3%
27.1%
45.6%
United States (US)
26.9%
29.1%
44%
Ireland (IE)
38.3%
18.3%
43.4%
Australia (AU)
34.8%
28.7%
36.5%
New Zealand (NZ)
30.3%
33.4%
36.3%
France (FR)
43.6%
20.5%
35.9%
Great Britain (GB)
39.8%
32.6%
27.6%
Portugal (PT)
59.5%
13.9%
26.6%
Switzerland (CH)
57.7%
17.3%
25%
Sweden (SE)
57.2%
24.7%
18.2%
Austria (AT)
68.8%
13.6%
17.6%
Germany-West (DE- 62.6%
20.9%
16.5%
W)
Norway (NO)
78.9%
14.9%
6.2%
Source: Carleton University Survey Centre for the International Social Science Program,
2004
8. Regions and Cities
•
•
The 2002 Environics survey reveals with greater interaction with persons of
various backgrounds contributes to higher support for immigration levels. It
is widely assumed that this is correct and by consequence historically it has
been contended that the cities are more immigrant-friendly than the less
urban parts of the country. However recent survey findings may throw into
question the assumption those smaller towns may be less open to
immigrants. In part this may be due to the changing nature of social
marketing campaigns of the 1990’s which have focused heavily on the
country’s demographic needs and as such in those places where such
concerns are greatest.
A 2005 survey conducted by the Strategic Counsel for Infrastructure
Canada reveals that a slim majority (55%) of Canadians agree that "more
immigrants and newcomers should be encouraged to live in my city or
town." Agreement with this statement is highest among Atlantic Canadians
(68%), Prairies (56%), Quebec (55%), Ontario (54%) and residents of
communities between 100,000 and just under 500,000 (60%) versus 1
million and over (52%).
8. Regions and Cities
•
(Now I'm going to read you a series of statements. Please tell me
the extent to which you agree or disagree with each using a 7-point
scale, where 7 means you strongly agree, 1 means you strongly
disagree and the mid-point 4 means you neither agree or disagree).
• Openness to newcomers and immigrants declines with age, with
those in the 18 to 24 age cohort (63%) most likely to agree with this
statement, declining to a bare majority (52%) among those aged 65
and older.
• Those with a higher education level are somewhat more likely to
welcome immigrants and newcomers to their community. University
graduates (59%) are more likely to support the promotion of
newcomers and immigrants to their communities as compared to
those with a high school education, or less (52%).
9. Role of the State
• Public knowledge of immigration policy is rarely
examined and generally confined to levels of immigration.
Hence both in Canada and abroad questions that touch
on what the government does in this regard may result in
yet further confusion. A good example of this arises
when the issue of government spending is submitted to
the population. Again despite the comparatively
favorable view of immigration in the country when it
comes to state spending in the area just under half of
Canadians agree that the government spends too much
money assisting immigrants. Indeed Canadians are right
in line with the international average on this issue.
9. Role of the State
Do governments spend too much money assisting immigrants? Crosstabulation count
Government spends too much money assisting
immigrants
Agree
Neither agree nor
Disagree
disagree
Total
47.3%
25.2%
27.5
Portugal (PT)
Switzerland (CH)
France (FR)
Sweden (SE)
Australia (AU)
Canada (CA)
Austria (AT)
United States (US)
Ireland (IE)
New Zealand (NZ)
Germany-West (DEW)
Norway (NO)
Great Britain (GB)
30.9%
46.9%
49.7%
40.7%
44.1%
47.3%
60.6%
51.6%
63.4%
52.9%
68%
22.7%
17.8%
23.8%
32.9%
29.8%
30.4%
17.4%
27.1%
15.5%
28.8%
16.7%
46.4%
35.3%
26.5%
26.4%
26.1%
22.3%
22%
21.3%
21.1%
18.3%
15.3%
60.5%
67%
24.3%
19.6%
15.2%
13.4%