Nearly half of Canadians support deporting people who are in Canada illegally, poll finds
2017/03/23 1 Comment
Not surprising, one of the factors that underlies overall Canadian support for immigration is that the public perceives this as managed and controlled. Irregular arrivals undermine that trust:
Undocumented immigrants in the United States are fleeing to Canada. But Canadians may not want them, a new survey finds.
Nearly half of Canadians support “increasing the deportation of people living in Canada illegally,” according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll released Monday.
The same share said they supported sending migrants that crossed from the United States right back over the border, while just 36 percent said Canada should accept them and let them apply for refugee status.
Read more:Trump, tighter air travel rules behind surge of refugees at Canada-U.S. border, experts say
The popular sentiment could pose a challenge to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who champions a pro-refugee and pro-immigration policy as a stark foil to U.S. President Donald Trump.
Trump’s anti-immigrant “build-a-wall” rhetoric helped launch him into the White House, but since getting there, he has faced significant political backlash and legal scrutiny over his policies.
The debate is spilling over into Canada, where Trudeau is taking a political hit for keeping his country’s door opento refugees and immigrants.
Forty-six percent of poll respondents disagreed with how Trudeau is handling immigration, while 37 per cent agreed.The poll shows the national debate on immigration is heating up. Nearly a quarter of Canadians believe immigration-control is a leading national issue, compared to 19 per cent in a December poll.
Some 40 per cent thought accepting those fleeing from the United States could make Canada less safe.
Undocumented immigrants began fleeing to Canada in record numbers after Trump’s political rise.
In 2016, 1,222 fled the United States to Quebec alone, a five-fold increase.
About Andrew
Multicultural Meanderings 
Yes, this is very sad, and I hear the anger in day-to day conversations with people who were themselves from immigrant families to Canada, coming for safety and a better life. A quick perusal of comments in response to media articles on immigration and refugees reveals remarks that are hateful and vicious. I would like to see more positive articles about how our latest immigrants will be of benefit to Canada, and how many Canadians are welcoming them, rather than all the news about negativity and polls (who gets polled, anyway?)
I find that, in the last year or so, I am asked (by some who know I no longer have citizenship as a Lost Canadian) why I am still allowed to stay here, so I feel something seems to be changing, not for the better, with the perception of Canada as a welcoming country.