A new Leger poll has revealed that new immigrants in Canada are more likely to vote Conservative than Liberal, with mass immigration in the last five years seen as a wedge issue.
According to the poll, 24% of immigrants who’ve come to Canada in the last ten years favour the Conservative Party vs. 22% who favour the Liberals, and just 8% favour the NDP. However, 38% of respondents are still unsure.
Of those who responded, 30% are now Canadian citizens and will be able to vote in the next election, while 41% are permanent residents likely awaiting citizenship. The majority of the remainder hold work or student permits (16% and 11%), while a small portion has refugee status (1%) or a visitation visa.
Breakdown by country of origin
Additionally, according to the poll, while Middle Eastern and Black respondents are mostly in favour of Trudeau’s current immigration plan (32% and 47% for vs. 32% and 17% against, respectively), most South Asian, Southeast Asian, Chinese, and Filipino respondents are against Trudeau’s immigration plan (50%, 64%, 55%, and 45% against vs. 28%, 27%, 30%, and 40% for), arguing that “it will admit too many immigrants to Canada”.
Given the fact that South Asian (Indian), Chinese, and Filipinos make up the bulk of new immigrants in Canada by a wide margin, it’s likely that the majority opinion amongst all immigrants is that Canada is bringing in too many immigrants.
Unsurprisingly, those who say that current immigration levels are too high are more likely to vote Conservative versus Liberal (57% vs. 36%). However, even among those who agree with Trudeau’s immigration plan, 31% still intend to vote Conservative.
Overall, amongst immigrants who have come to Canada in the last ten years, 42% are against Trudeau’s immigration policy, 34% agree with it, 7% think it doesn’t go far enough, and 17% have no opinion.
