Survey Finds Majority of Canadians Believe Immigration Levels are Still Too High

February 20, 2025 TruthUSA

Canadians are calling for even deeper cuts to immigration by the federal government, beyond the 20 percent reduction implemented this year, according to in-house research from the immigration department.

“Over half of surveyed Canadians, 54 percent, believe there are too many immigrants coming into Canada,” stated a report from the department based on a poll of 2,500 Canadians.

Despite the federal government’s plan to reduce the number of permanent residents from 500,000 to 395,000 in 2025, the majority of survey respondents, 52 percent, still consider that number too high, as reported by Blacklock’s Reporter.

Forty percent of respondents cited “housing concerns” as their primary reason for deeming immigration numbers too high, while another 25 percent pointed to “jobs and the economy,” 22 percent to “competition for social supports,” 11 percent to “pressure on healthcare,” and 9 percent to “concerns about culture.”

The research revealed that respondents from Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Ontario were most likely to express that too many immigrants are entering Canada. Alberta led with 61 percent, followed by Saskatchewan with 59 percent, Ontario with 58 percent, British Columbia with 56 percent, Manitoba and Prince Edward Island with 53 percent each, Nova Scotia with 52 percent, Québec with 44 percent, New Brunswick with 41 percent, and Newfoundland and Labrador with 39 percent.

Additionally, 41 percent of Canadians believe their cities or towns are receiving an excess of immigrants, while 39 percent find the number appropriate, and 11 percent feel there are too few immigrants.

Twenty-nine percent of respondents expressed that there were too many refugees entering Canada from abroad, 38 percent felt it was the right amount, and 17 percent believed there were too few being brought in.

The federal government declared last October its intention to reduce the number of permanent residents entering Canada over the next three years, with targets decreasing from 500,000 new permanent residents in each of the following two years to 395,000 in 2025 and 380,000 in 2026. The number would then drop to 365,000 in 2027.

Immigration Minister Marc Miller also announced in January a two-year cap on the number of international student permit applications, reducing the figure from approximately 560,000 student visas issued in 2023 to around 360,000 approved study permits for 2024. The immigration department reported a decrease of 200,000 international students entering Canada this fall compared to the previous year.

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