IMMIGRATION: WHAT THE PUBLIC OPINION POLLS SAY

1) The Gallup Poll of June, 1987 found Canadians overwhelmingly opposed to immigration that would upset Canada's ethnic balance.

(Globe and Mail, September 17, 1987)

2. -Most Canadians believe there are "too many immigrants," especially from visible minorities, according to a new survey commissioned for the federal government. Four in 10 Canadians believe there are too many members of visible minorities, singling out Arabs, blacks and Asians. ... And in Toronto, where the largest number of immigrants to Canada live, the survey showed a startling rise recently in intolerant attitudes. About 67 percent of the respondents in Canada's largest city said there were too many immigrants, compared with 46 percent just two years ago. In the poll, conducted [in February] by Ottawa-based Ekos Research Associates Inc., 53 per cent of Canadians questioned immigration levels, compared with 44 per cent two years ago. ... [Only] 7 percent said there were two few immigrants in Canada. (Globe and Mail, March 10, 1994)

3. A June, 1994 poll, commissioned by the Immigration Association of Canada and conducted by Forum Canada Research confirmed a host of other polls that continue to show ongoing opposition by the Canadian Majority to the current immigration policy. Respondents were asked:

Another question asked:

A tightening of the much abused family reunification track won wide support.

Currently, people with AIDS, tuberculosis, pernicious Hepatitis B, and even leprosy somehow manage to get into Canada. Actually, we don't even test for AIDS. A runaway majority say this must change. When asked,

When Asked

Canada still seems to grant refugee or landed immigrant status to a depressing number of people with criminal records. The majority view is crystal clear. Asked,

Finally, when asked about the government's wimpy policy of granting permanent residence to illegals -who had claimed refugee status on entry, but who were declared ineligible for this status after complete judicial reviews, 64.1 per cent said they disapproved of such a policy. (Calgary Herald, August 4, 1994)

Columnist Doug Fisher (Calgary Sun, July 13, 1994) reflected on the highly undemocratic nature of Canada's immigration policy.

And still on public opinion polls. Canadians are not jumping up and down with glee at the prospect of an influx of Cubans. On August 29, the Toronto Star's phone-in question was:

4. -Ellen Gee, a sociologist at Simon Fraser University ..., said the changes in immigration patterns have taken place so rapidly that the result is a recipe for social unease. "Survey after survey shows that people are negative about immigrants. I'm very pessimistic. ... Prof. Gee said opinion surveys consistently show the public disapproves of immigrants, particularly in the large urban areas that receive most of them." (Globe and Mail, December 9, 1992)

5. -Confidential government documents suggest Canadians are becoming increasingly hostile -- if not racist -- towards immigration. The document prepared by senior immigration officials say internal government polling shows "attitudes to immigration levels appear to be hardening, with significantly more Canadians feeling there are too many immigrants coming to Canada." The confidential government survey found fully half of those Canadians polled in the past year were either intolerant or outright 'xenophones'. ... Only 14 per cent were listed as compassionate." Moreover, senior government officials warn: "Canadians seriously underestimate the number of immigrants arriving annually." (Ottawa Citizen, December 9, 1993)

6. A Gallup Poll commissioned by Zero Population Growth (Canada) in the spring of 1981 found: 60.2% of Canadians felt Canadian population shoulds remain at its then present level of 24 million; only 16.5% wished to see the population larger than 30-million; 31.7% wanted no immigration at all; 65.1% wanted less than 50,000 immigrants pe year; only 15.3% preferred more than 100,000 immigrants per year at a time when the average annual level was 130,000.

7. A Globe-Environics Poll taken in March, 1987 found that 65% of Canadians feel there is too much immigration. (Globe and Mail, June 6, 1987)

8. In May, 1987, Goldfarb Consultants of Toronto found thar 83% of Canadians supported the tightening of regulations for the admission of so-called refugees. Only a tiny 11% wanted an open-door refugee policy. (Toronto Star, June 3, 1987)

9. Another Environics Poll found that 70% of Canadians were opposed to the idea of immigration. (Globe and Mail, March 6, 1987)

10. A Gallup Poll released in mid-October, 1991 revealed that a mere 17 per cent of Canadians wanted immigration levels increased. (Toronto Sun, October 21, 1990) Nevertheless, when then-Immigration Minister Barbara MacDougall rose in Parliament, October 25, to announce the government's new five-year plan, immigration was hiked to 220,000 in 1991 and 250,000 for each of the next four years.

11. -Almost six Canadians in 10 express at least some reservations about the number of immigrants to Canada, a poll for the federal immigration department indicates. (Toronto Star, August 19, 1996) Interestingly, the Star had to winkle this taxpayer-funded poll out of the government through an Access to Information Act request.

12.-Most Canadians want ethnic minorities to adapt to the value system and the "Canadian way of life" of the majority, a survey on race relations says. ..."Many Canadians want Ottawa to spend less on multiculturalism, particularly funding for ethnic festivals and celebrations. These were among the findings of the Canadian Council of Christians and Jews' latest survey. ... Seventy-seven per cent also said ethnic minorities should try to adapt to a Canadian way of life, rather than holding on to their cultural differences." (Toronto Star, April 13, 1995)

Naturally, the multicultural cheerleaders tried to put the best shine on the bad news. "But the survey didn't define what it considered to be the 'value system' or the 'way of life' of the majority and that is part of the poll's weakness, said Karen Mock, national director of the League for Human Rights of B'nai Brith. Michael Sullivan of Decima Research, which conducted the survey, said Canadians seem to be yearning to move away from the traditional notion of the Canadian mosaic toward an American-style melting pot. And many Canadians seem to want to see a change in government multiculturalism policies. Forty-five per cent want to see Ottawa decrease the current $25-million it spends on multiculturalism. ... There was an even split on the issue of immigration policy. Forty-six per cent of those surveyed believed that too many people of different races and cultures are being allowed into Canada and an equal percentage felt there was a good balance of people from various backgrounds coming into Canada."

13.-Almost 60 per cent of Canadians support a five-year ban on new immigrants coming to Canada, says a Forum Canada Research poll. Forum Canada president Lorne Bozinoff, who conducted the poll for the Immigration Association of Canada ... said: "The results of the poll are pretty self-evident on how Canadians feel about immigration right now." (Toronto Sun, May 16, 1995) The poll conducted in March is all provinces except Quebec asked respondents -if they approve or disapprove of a five-year suspension of all immigration to provide time for Canada to integrate the large number of immigrants who have entered Canada in recent years. The approval rate was 58.9 per cent. Immigration Association President Kim Abbott said the statistics show the government needs to step back and review the high numbers of immigrants it is letting into Canada. Last fall, the government set its immigration level between 190,000 and 215,000 for this year. ... Abbott says the poll also shows 'dangers' in the government's decision to continue to finance immigrants to maintain their culture and lifestyles in Canada. ... The poll also revealed: