The Government of Canada has committed to increasing immigrant admissions to 500,000 per year by 2025 – more than doubling the number of admissions to Canada in 2015. Meeting this commitment will depend on supportive public attitudes toward immigration, both at home and abroad.
Currently, public attitudes are a distinct Canadian advantage:
• Canadians have maintained high and steady support for immigration, even in the context of significant increases and global upheaval.
• Globally, prospective immigrants have positive views of Canada, allowing us to attract talent.
But this support must not be taken for granted. Changing conditions could undermine support for immigration and interest in immigrating, undermining our prosperity.
Century Initiative’s latest Key Insight paper focuses on what we know about public opinion toward immigration in Canada and international perspectives on Canada’s “brand” for immigrants. It also explores potential risks to Canada’s immigration advantage and responses to those risks. Recommendations outlined in the paper include:
• Policies and administration related to the immigration system
• Policies that create a more welcoming environment for new immigrants
• Investments that enable Canada’s capacity to accommodate population growth in ways that work for all Canadians
