A recent poll by the Association for Canadian Studies found that 63% of non-immigrant Canadians disagree with the statement "Canada needs new immigrants."
According to Chedly Belkhodja, a professor at Concordia University's School of Community and Public Affairs, this trend reflects a growing anti-immigrant sentiment in the country since the pandemic.
"We had a certain stability in the way the system was working in many societies," Belkhodja said. "With globalization, a lot of things happened."
Experts believe this rise in anti-immigration sentiment is linked to wider economic anxieties and the growing influence of populist narratives.
Author's summary: Anti-immigration sentiment is rising in Canada.