Canadian Citizens Show Little Favor for Pathway to Citizenship for Illegal Immigrants, According to Federal Study

October 7, 2024 TruthUSA

An internal government study in Canada aimed to gauge public opinion on extending citizenship to illegal immigrants revealed a significant portion of respondents were against the idea.

Participants in focus groups were questioned about their support for granting citizenship to “out of status” or “undocumented” immigrants who entered Canada illegally or overstayed temporary visas.

The survey report from April 24, commissioned by the Privy Council and obtained by Blacklock’s Reporter, highlighted a range of opinions among participants.

While some felt there should be flexibility for individuals with lapsed documentation awaiting new permits, a larger number opposed granting them citizenship, citing unfairness to those who follow legal immigration channels.

Participants who went through official immigration channels themselves expressed discouragement over granting citizenship to out-of-status workers, considering the effort it took them to obtain permanent residency and citizenship.

Findings from focus groups conducted by The Strategic Counsel, a Toronto pollster under an $814,741 contract, included participants from Quebec, Ontario, British Columbia, Manitoba, and Atlantic Canada.

Canada’s population has increased significantly in recent years due to high levels of immigration. Statistics Canada projected in March 2024 that the country’s population had
exceeded 41 million
less than a year after surpassing 40 million.

The exact number of illegal immigrants cannot be definitively determined, but is estimated to be between 20,000 and 500,000 individuals, according to a briefing note from the federal immigration department in 2022.
A report from Statistics Canada in January 2024 estimated over 2.6 million non-permanent residents in the country in 2023, with 328,898 being asylum claimants.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau stated in May that there needed to be a “pathway towards regularization and citizenship” for undocumented immigrants, while emphasizing the acceleration of deportation proceedings in other cases. The office of Immigration Minister Marc Miller also indicated plans to introduce a citizenship pathway and deportation proposal during the same month.

During the 2021 election campaign, the Liberal government promised to reform its immigration programs to “explore ways of regularizing status for undocumented workers who are contributing to Canadian communities.” However, no timeline has been provided for these reforms.

A recent study by Angus Reid in September revealed a fourfold increase in the number of Canadians worried about immigration issues over the past two years, with 21 percent considering immigration as one of the top concerns in the country.

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