By Rebel News | Created at 2024-11-19 20:56:48 | Updated at 2024-11-24 13:36:37
4 days ago
Fewer Canadians think immigration is making the country better, while an increasing number say refugees and asylum seekers are being given too much by the government.
Both viewpoints have seen a “significant increase” in the past year, according to a survey from the Canadian Museum for Human Rights.
A group of 2,500 Canadians were asked questions in both 2023 and 2024 as part of the survey. This year saw a “significant decrease” in the number of Canadians who felt immigration was making the country better, declining from 52% to 44%.
A majority, 56%, said asylum seekers and refugees were receiving “too many benefits,” a “significant increase” over the 49% who held that view in 2023.
A further 41% said “too much attention” was being given to the rights of newcomers, reported CBC.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government has recently changed course on immigration.
After overseeing record immigration levels since 2022, reports have shown one in 10 Toronto residents are relying on food banks. Of those accessing food banks, four in five are newcomers to the country, the National Post reports.
In a video message posted Sunday, Trudeau accused “bad actors like fake colleges and big chain corporations” of “exploiting the country's immigration system for their own interests.”
The prime minister then announced his government was reducing the number of immigrants for the next three years. The Liberals have also adjusted rules regarding temporary foreign workers and international students over the last several months.
“We made some mistakes,” Trudeau admitted in the video.
According to the new immigration plan, the number of permanent residents will be reduced from 500,000 to 395,000 in 2025. Temporary workers are expected to decline by over 40% in 2026 while international students will shrink by 10%, the Economic Times reports.
Despite the measures to change course, the Trudeau Liberals continue to trail far behind the Conservatives in polls.
