Following the government’s aim to welcome more than 1.3 million newcomers to Canada over the next three years, a new poll finds that the majority of Canadians believe immigration has a largely good impact on the country.
According to the official report from an internet survey of 1,000 adults conducted by Research Co., three-in-four Canadians, or nearly 75 per cent, believe immigrants’ hard work and talent make Canada better, and nearly 65 per cent believe immigrants should only be allowed in Canada if they adopt Canadian values.
According to Mario Canseco, president of Research Co. and report author, a survey taken last week revealed that some political and geographical discrepancies continue across the country.
“Majorities of Canadians who reside in Ontario (58%), Quebec (56%), Alberta (also 56%), Atlantic Canada (54%), and British Columbia (also 51%) hold favourable views on immigration,” he writes.
In contrast, 36% of Saskatchewan and Manitoba citizens want immigration levels to be reduced. In terms of political affiliation, nearly seven-in-ten Canadians (69%) who voted for the Liberal Party in the 2021 federal election believe immigration is having a mostly positive effect in Canada, compared to 60% who voted for the New Democratic Party (NDP) and 46% who voted for Conservative Party candidates.
According to the study, Canadians who voted for the Conservatives in the 2021 federal election are more likely (80 per cent) to advocate for newcomers to Canada to acquire Canadian values than those who supported the Liberals (65 per cent) or the New Democrats (35 per cent) (55 percent). Minister of Immigration, Sean Fraser, revealed yesterday that Canada intends to attract around 1.3 million new immigrants over the next three years to assist fill key labour shortages and fuel post-pandemic growth.
The Immigration Levels Plan for 2022–2024 seeks to keep receiving immigrants at a rate of around 1% of Canada’s population, with 431,645 permanent residents in 2022 (an increase of about 21,000 from the initial plan), 447,055 in 2023, and 451,000 in 2024.
“We think it is a good plan, albeit a very ambitious plan,” said Betsy Kane, a steering committee member of the Canadian Immigration Lawyers Association (CILA).
CILA did not ask the government to “halt” newcomer intake, as NCM earlier stated based on an article on the association’s website published prior to yesterday’s announcement, according to Kane.
Quite precisely, NCM’s report was based on CILA’s suggestion that the IRCC utilize this year to “gather its breath” and let many individuals who have been in ambiguity since the pandemic eventually arrives as permanent residents.
Canada must continue to welcome more immigrants but setting more aggressive targets under the levels plan for 2022-2024 may be premature. Although using this year to catch IRCC’s breath would be far from ideal, it would be advantageous for a number of reasons.
According to Jasraj Singh Hallan, the Conservative Party of Canada’s Shadow Minister for Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship, the historic over two million immigration case backlog is impeding families and harming companies.
“This is just another example of how Justin Trudeau and his Liberal government will say one thing and do another. Canadians and new Canadians alike deserve better,” said the MP for Calgary Forest Lawn in an email to NCM.
MP for East Vancouver and the NDP’s Immigration Critic, Jenny Kwan, has appealed to the Liberal government to grant temporary foreign workers landed status upon arrival.
“There are over 500,000 people who are already here in Canada. I am calling on the Liberals to bring in special immigration levels to regularize these workers to meet Canada’s labour skill shortage and implement the principle that if you are good enough to work, you are good enough to stay and grant temporary foreign workers landed status on arrival now,” she said.
According to Andrew Griffith, a policy analyst and former director-general of IRCC’s Citizenship and Multiculturalism Branch, the higher levels reflect a continuation of the government’s aim of increasing immigration to stimulate economic growth.
“I strongly believe a royal commission or equivalent is needed for a more independent look at immigration, one with a broader and more critical focus than the immigration industry perspective,” he says.
Legal Disclaimer: This article is provided for information purposes only.
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