The online survey of a representative national sample of 1,005 American adults also shows that respondents express more confidence in President Barack Obama to handle the immigration file than on prospective Republican nominee Mitt Romney.

Across the United States, more than half of respondents (54%) believe immigration is having a negative effect in the U.S., while one-in-four (25%) think it is having a positive effect.

In addition, two-in-five Americans (39%) would like to see the level of legal immigration decrease. Republicans are more likely to regard immigration negatively (66%) and to call for a reduction in the number of legal immigrants (45%).

More than half of Americans (54%) believe the more than 12 million illegal immigrants in the United States take jobs away from American workers, a view shared by 65 per cent of Republicans, 54 per cent of Independents and 46 per cent of Democrats.

When asked about what should be done about the status of illegal immigrants who are currently working in the United States, 41 per cent of Americans call for deportation, while 33 per cent back a “path to citizenship” and 16 per cent support the concept of a temporary work visa that would not lead to citizenship. Deportation is the preferred option for Republicans (56%) and Independents (40%), while almost half of Democrats (48%) endorse the “path to citizenship.”

Since May 2010, support for the notion of allowing illegal immigrants to stay in the U.S. and eventually apply for citizenship has increased by eight points (from 25% to 33%). However, at least two-in-five Americans have consistently argued that all illegal immigrants should be sent back to their countries of origin. The option that has lost the most ground with respondents is the temporary work visa, falling from 21 per cent in 2010 to 16 per cent this year.

Almost half of Americans (47%) express complete or moderate confidence in Barack Obama to implement the right policies to deal with the issue of immigration. The national rating for Mitt Romney on this file is considerably lower (29%).

Full Report, Detailed Tables and Methodology (PDF)

CONTACT:

Mario Canseco, Vice President, Angus Reid Public Opinion
+877 730 3570
mario.canseco@angus-reid.com

Methodology: From April 5 to April 6, 2012, Angus Reid Public Opinion conducted an online survey among 1,005 randomly selected American adults who are Springboard America panelists. The margin of error—which measures sampling variability—is +/- 3.1%. The results have been statistically weighted according to the most current education, age, gender and region Census data to ensure a sample representative of the entire adult population of the United States. Discrepancies in or between totals are due to rounding.

In the online survey of a representative sample of 1,005 Canadian adults, 39 per cent of respondents believe that immigration is having a positive effect in Canada, while 39 per cent think it is having a negative effect.

Views on Legal and Illegal Immigration

Since September 2010, the proportion of Canadians who think immigration is having a positive effect in the country has increased by five points. Respondents aged 18-to-34 are more likely to regard immigration in a positive light (48%) than middle-aged Canadians (33%) and those over the age of 55 (39%).

Two-in-five Canadians (41%) think the number of legal immigrants who are allowed to relocate in Canada should decrease, including almost half of respondents aged 35-to-54 (46%).

The views of Canadians on illegal immigration have hardened over the past 14 months. Half of respondents (50%, +6 since September 2010) believe illegal immigrants in Canada take jobs away from Canadian workers. In addition, only 23 per cent of respondents would allow illegal immigrants to stay in Canada and eventually apply for citizenship, while 50 per cent think illegal immigrants should be required to leave their jobs and be deported.

Multiculturalism

Three-in-five Canadians (62%) think multiculturalism has been good for the country, including 72 per cent of respondents aged 18-to-34. However, more Canadians (58%) are likely to endorse the concept of the melting pot—immigrants assimilating and blending into Canadian society—than the mosaic (30%), where cultural differences within society are valuable and should be preserved.

At least one-in-four respondents believe Canada is an intolerant society towards Muslims (33%), Aboriginal Canadians (28%) and immigrants from South Asia, such as India and Pakistan (25%). A third of Canadians (32%) believe that racism is a significant problem in Canada, while 55 per cent disagree with this view.

Analysis

The proportion of Canadians who believe immigration is having a negative effect in the country is the lowest in the past four years. The main source of hostility appears to be illegal immigration, with half of Canadians calling for unlawful workers to return to their country of origin. This level of support for the deportation of illegal immigrants is 11 points lower than what was observed in Britain in December 2011, but seven points higher than in the United States in December 2010.

Younger Canadians are more likely to back the idea of a “path to citizenship” for illegal workers, but sizeable majorities of middle-aged and older respondents reject this idea.

The positive views on multiculturalism drop markedly with age, from 72 per cent for those aged 18-to-34, to 63 per cent among those aged 35-to-54, and to 50 per cent for those over the age of 55. Middle-aged and older Canadians are also more likely to support the concept of the melting pot than the mosaic.

Review our September 2010 and November 2010 surveys on immigration and multiculturalism.

Full Report, Detailed Tables and Methodology (PDF)

Full Tables (PDF)

CONTACT:

Mario Canseco, Vice President, Angus Reid Public Opinion
+877 730 3570
mario.canseco@angus-reid.com

Methodology: From January 26 to January 27, 2012, Angus Reid Public Opinion conducted an online survey among 1,005 randomly selected Canadian adults who are Angus Reid Forum panellists. The margin of error—which measures sampling variability—is +/- 3.1%, 19 times out of 20. The results have been statistically weighted according to the most current education, age, gender and region Census data to ensure a sample representative of the entire adult population of Canada. Discrepancies in or between totals are due to rounding.

In the online survey of a representative national sample of 1,005 Americans, 57 per cent of respondents believe that immigration is having a negative effect in the U.S. This represents a ten-point drop since the question was last asked by Vision Critical/Angus Reid Public Opinion in July. However, all of the movement has been toward not sure (from 16% to 25%), driven mainly by Democrats and Independents. Four-in-five Republicans (80%) say immigration has a negative impact in this country.

Legal and Illegal Immigration

Two-in-five Americans (39%) think the number of legal immigrants who are allowed to relocate in the U.S. should decrease, while only 15 per cent favor an increase.

More than half of respondents (56%) believe the illegal immigrants in the United States take jobs away from American workers, while one third (34%) think these illegal immigrants are employed in jobs that American workers do not want. Large majorities of Republicans (74%) and Independents (60%) believe illegal immigrants take jobs away from American workers, but only 42 per cent of Democrats concur.

When asked about the status of illegal immigrants who are currently working in the United States, a tempering of opinion is also observed. Three-in-ten respondents (31%, +4 since July) believe that these illegal immigrants should be allowed to eventually apply for citizenship—the highest level of support for this policy throughout 2010. Two-in-five Americans (43%, -7) believe illegal immigrants should be required to leave their jobs and be deported.

While Democrats (48%) remain more likely than Republicans (13%) and Independents (31%) to support a “path to citizenship” for illegal immigrants who are working in the U.S., no party can count on majority support to implement this policy in the current political environment.

In a finding that has remained consistent since the summer, many Americans continue to express support for the implementation of the four primary policy provisions of the Arizona law in their own state. However, there is a marked decrease in the proportion of respondents who endorse arresting people who are unable to provide documentation to prove they are in the U.S. legally (from 69% in July to 62% this month).

Analysis

Immigration remains a passionate emotional and policy issue in the melting pot that is America, and most Americans in all walks of life hold some negative feelings about it. While opinion remains divided along party lines, the idea of a “path to citizenship” for illegal immigrants has no majority support. Still, other provisions of immigration policy reform could be in play in 2011, along with a now larger swing voter group waiting to hear all sides of the debate.

Our previous surveys on immigration can be found here: April 2010 / May 2010 / July 2010

Full Report, Detailed Tables and Methodology (PDF)

Methodology: From December 16 to December 17, 2010, Vision Critical conducted an online survey among 1,005 American adults who are Springboard America panelists. The margin of error—which measures sampling variability—is +/- 3.1%. The results have been statistically weighted according to the most current education, age, gender and region Census data to ensure a sample representative of the entire adult population of the United States.

The online survey of a representative national sample of 1,006 Canadian adults also found that at least three-in-ten respondents believe that Canadian society is intolerant towards Muslims, and Aboriginal Canadians.

Multiculturalism

Across the country, 55 per cent of respondents think multiculturalism has been good for Canada, while 30 per cent believe the policy has been bad. British Columbians (65%) express the highest level of admiration for multiculturalism, while Quebecers (49%) are at the bottom end.

Two-thirds of respondents aged 18-34 (65%) think multiculturalism has been good for Canada, but only 45 per cent of people over the age of 55 concur.

Mosaic or Melting Pot?

For decades, the concept of the mosaic—where cultural differences within society are deemed valuable and regarded as something that should be preserved—has been used to establish a difference between Canada and the United States. Americans consistently refer to their country as a melting pot, where immigrants assimilate and blend into society.

More than half of respondents (54%) believe Canada should be a melting pot, while one third of Canadians (33%) endorse the concept of the mosaic. The melting pot is particularly attractive for Quebecers (64%), Albertans (60%) and respondents over the age of 55. The mosaic gets its best marks among British Columbians (42%) and respondents aged 18 to 34 (47%).

A Tolerant Society?

Respondents across the country were asked whether Canada is tolerant or intolerant towards nine different groups. One third of respondents (33%) think Canadian society is intolerant towards Muslims, three-in-ten (30%) say it is intolerant towards Aboriginal Canadians, and one-in-four (24%) believe it is intolerant towards immigrants from South Asia.

Significantly fewer people believe Canadian society is intolerant towards gays and lesbians (16%), people with disabilities (15%), and immigrants from Africa (16%), Asia (10%), Latin America (7%) and Europe (4%).

Analysis

Most Canadians are not ready to claim—as German Chancellor Angela Merkel did earlier this year when assessing her own country—that multiculturalism has failed. However, the mosaic is no longer the predominant concept across Canada. A majority of respondents appear to be growing fond of the melting pot.

While a majority of respondents believe that Canadian society is tolerant towards most groups, there are some striking differences. Immigrants from Latin America and Europe are seen as groups that face acceptance practically all the time, which is something that cannot be said about Muslims, Aboriginal Canadians and Immigrants from South Asia.

Full Report, Detailed Tables and Methodology (PDF)

CONTACT:

Mario Canseco, Vice President, Communications & Media Relations
+877 730 3570
mario.canseco@angus-reid.com

Methodology: From November 2 to November 3, 2010, Angus Reid Public Opinion conducted an online survey among 1,006 randomly selected Canadian adults who are Angus Reid Forum panelists. The margin of error—which measures sampling variability—is +/- 3.1%, 19 times out of 20. The results have been statistically weighted according to the most current education, age, gender and region Census data to ensure a sample representative of the entire adult population of Canada. Discrepancies in or between totals are due to rounding.

More Canadians are questioning whether immigration is benefitting the country, with Albertans and Ontarians voicing concern over the role of illegal immigrants in Canadian society, a new Angus Reid Public Opinion poll has found.

The online survey of a representative sample of 1,007 Canadian adults also found that half of respondents would not allow the Tamil migrants who arrived in Canada a few weeks ago to stay in the country as refugees.

Overall, 46 per cent of respondents (+5 since August 2009) say immigration is having a negative effect in Canada, while 34 per cent (-3) believe it is having a positive effect. Albertans (56%) and Ontarians (55%) are more likely to view immigration in a negative light than respondents in all other provinces.

Legal and Illegal Immigration

About two-in-five Canadians (38%) believe the number of legal immigrants who are allowed to relocate in Canada should decrease. A similar proportion (39%) would keep the current levels, and 16 per cent call for more immigrants to be allowed into Canada. Ontario (42%) and Quebec (40%) hold the highest level of support for decreasing legal immigration.

A plurality of respondents (44%) think the illegal immigrants who currently reside in Canada take jobs away from Canadian workers, while a smaller proportion (38%) believe they are employed in jobs that Canadian workers do not want. More than half of Ontarians (52%) think illegal immigrants are taking jobs away from Canadians.

Almost half of Canadians (47%) believe illegal immigrants should be required to leave their jobs and be deported from Canada, while 23 per cent would allow them to stay in Canada and eventually apply for citizenship. Almost one-in-five (17%) would allow these illegal immigrants to work in Canada on a temporary basis, but would not give them a chance to become citizens.

Ontarians (53%) and Albertans (52%) hold the highest level of support for the deportation of illegal immigrants, while British Columbians are at the other end of the spectrum on this question (39%).

The Tamil Ship

There has been little change in the way Canadians feel about the ship carrying about 490 Tamil migrants from Sri Lanka that arrived in British Columbia a few weeks ago. Half of respondents (50%) think the passengers and crew should be deported to their country of origin, even if the refugee claims are legitimate and there is no discernible link between the migrants and any terrorist organization. One third of Canadians (32%) would allow the passengers and crew to stay in Canada as refugees.

Analysis

On questions related to immigration, the views of Canadians appear to be hardening. Alberta, which was particularly unconvinced on the benefits of immigration in the August 2009 survey, has now been joined by Ontario. The two provinces are home to a population that is perceiving immigration negatively, and where a majority calls for the deportation of illegal immigrants. Ontarians also reject the claim that illegal immigrants are simply performing the tasks that Canadians don’t want to carry out.

Quebecers still see some benefits to immigration, and are more likely than all other Canadians to assume that illegal immigrants are not taking jobs away from Canadian workers. Still, Quebecers choose a decrease in legal immigration over an increase by a 4-to-1 margin.

British Columbia holds the highest proportion of respondents that regard immigration in a positive light. BC is also the only province where a plurality would allow the Tamil migrants to stay as refugees.

Full Report, Detailed Tables and Methodology (PDF) 

On Aug. 12, the MV Sun Sea—a ship carrying about 490 Tamil migrants from Sri Lanka—arrived in the Canadian province of British Columbia. The ship’s passengers and crew are currently undergoing medical and identification checks to determine the legitimacy of their refugee claims.

On Aug. 13, Canadian public safety minister Vic Toews said he considers the MV Sun Sea a "test boat", adding, "This particular situation is being observed by others who may have similar intentions and I think it’s very important that Canada deals with the situation in a clear and decisive way. I don’t view this as an isolated, independent act."

On Aug. 18, Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper discussed the situation, saying, "I think Canadians are pretty concerned, when a whole boat of people comes, not through any normal application process, not through any normal arrival channel, and just simply lands. And obviously this leads to significant security concerns."

Polling Data

The ship’s passengers and crew are currently undergoing medical and identification checks to determine the legitimacy of their refugee claims. If the refugee claims are legitimate, and there is no discernible link between the migrants and any terrorist organization, which of these courses of action would you prefer?

Complete Poll (PDF)

Many Canadians are paying attention to the developing story related to the arrival of Tamil refugee claimants from Sri Lanka, and a large majority expect more ships carrying migrants to attempt to reach Canadian waters in the next few months, a new Angus Reid Public Opinion poll has found.

The online survey of a representative sample of 1,019 Canadian adults also finds that a large proportion of respondents believe that the ship should have been turned back and not allowed to reach Canada.

The Story

A ship carrying about 490 Tamil migrants from Sri Lanka arrived in British Columbia last week. The ship’s passengers and crew are currently undergoing medical and identification checks to determine the legitimacy of their refugee claims.

More than half of Canadians (64%) are following this story in the media “very closely” or “moderately closely”, including 72 per cent of respondents in British Columbia.

Three-in-five Canadians (63%) believe that the ship carrying the Tamil migrants should have been turned back and not allowed to reach Canada. In addition, four-in-five respondents (83%) think the migrants aboard this ship are jumping the immigration queue and should apply like any other foreigner who wants to relocate to Canada.

What to do?

Respondents were asked to choose a specific course of action if the refugee claims from the Tamil migrants are legitimate, and there is no discernible link between them and any terrorist organization.

Almost half of Canadians (48%) would deport the passengers and crew to their country of origin, while one third (35%) would allow them to stay in Canada as refugees.

While British Columbians and Atlantic Canadians are almost evenly divided in their assessment of this case, 53 per cent of Ontarians and Albertans are in favour of deporting the migrants.

Some people have said that this ship was a “test boat” intended to gauge the response of the federal government. Seven-in-ten Canadians (72%) expect more ships carrying migrants to attempt to reach Canadian waters in the next few months.

Full Report, Detailed Tables and Methodology (PDF)

CONTACT:

Jodi Shanoff, Senior Vice President, Public Affairs
+416 712 5498
jodi.shanoff@angus-reid.com

Methodology: From August 17 to August 18, 2010, Angus Reid Public Opinion conducted an online survey among 1,019 randomly selected Canadian adults who are Angus Reid Forum panelists. The margin of error—which measures sampling variability—is +/- 3.1%, 19 times out of 20. The results have been statistically weighted according to the most current education, age, gender and region Census data to ensure a sample representative of the entire adult population of Canada. Discrepancies in or between totals are due to rounding.

Many Canadians believe the federal government should not issue a special permit to allow former newspaper entrepreneur Conrad Black to return to Canada, a new Angus Reid Public Opinion poll has found.

The online survey of a representative national sample of 1,000 Canadian adults also finds that respondents are evenly divided on whether Black should have his Canadian citizenship reinstated in the event he is cleared of all charges when his appeal is settled.

Views on Citizenship and Immigration Issues

A majority of respondents (62%) agree with allowing Canadians to hold dual citizenship (that is, allowing Canadian citizens to acquire a foreign nationality without automatically losing their Canadian citizenship), while three-in-ten (31%) disagree. Support for dual citizenship is highest in British Columbia (73%), Quebec (66%) and Alberta (64%).

Canadians are split on whether Canadian citizens should continue to be restricted from accepting titles issued by foreign countries (such as knighthoods and peerages), with 44 per cent agreeing with the current rationale, and 45 per cent disagreeing with it.

Respondents were provided with three potential cases for the relocation of a non-Canadian to Canada. While a majority of respondents see no problem with allowing a non-Canadian who is the live-in partner of a Canadian to relocate to Canada (54%), a large majority of respondents (70%) believe that a non-Canadian who has been in jail for a white-collar crime and is married to a Canadian should not be allowed to settle in the country. The level of rejection is higher (90%) for a non-Canadian who has been in jail for a violent crime and is married to a Canadian.

The Conrad Black Case

In July 2007, Conrad Black was convicted by a U.S. court on three counts of mail fraud and wire fraud and one count of obstruction of justice. He began serving his six-and-a-half year sentence in March 2008. On Jun. 24, the U.S. Supreme Court released its decision on Black’s appeal, and ordered a lower court to review the three fraud convictions, based on the new definition of “honest services” fraud.

Black was released on bail earlier this month, after serving for 28 months. Across the country, 54 per cent of respondents say they are following the release of Conrad Black “very closely” or “moderately closely”.

Black renounced his Canadian citizenship in 2001. A majority of Canadians (56%) side with the argument that the former newspaper entrepreneur discarded his Canadian citizenship to get a seat in Britain’s House of Lords. Only 10 per cent of respondents believe that Black was forced to renounce his citizenship by the Jean Chrétien government.

Because Black has been convicted of an indictable offence and is no longer a Canadian citizen, he may need a special minister’s permit from the federal Department of Citizenship and Immigration in order to return to Canada. Seven-in-ten Canadians (71%) disagree with the federal government issuing a special permit that would allow Conrad Black to return to Canada, while one-in-five (21%) would agree with this resolution.

If Black is cleared of all charges when his appeal is settled, 45 per cent of respondents would support reinstating his Canadian citizenship, while 45 per cent would oppose this course of action. The highest level of support for reinstating Black’s Canadian citizenship if he is cleared of all charges is in Ontario (55%) and Alberta (52%).

If Black were to renounce his seat in the House of Lords, only 29 per cent of respondents would support reinstating his Canadian citizenship.

Full Report, Detailed Tables and Methodology (PDF)

CONTACT:

Jodi Shanoff, Senior Vice President, Public Affairs
+416 712 5498
jodi.shanoff@angus-reid.com

Methodology: From July 28 to July 29, 2010, Angus Reid Public Opinion conducted an online survey among 1,000 randomly selected Canadian adults who are Angus Reid Forum panelists. The margin of error—which measures sampling variability—is +/- 3.1%, 19 times out of 20. The results have been statistically weighted according to the most current education, age, gender and region Census data to ensure a sample representative of the entire adult population of Canada. Discrepancies in or between totals are due to rounding.

On the contrary, 27 per cent of respondents would allow illegal workers to remain in the U.S. and eventually apply for citizenship, and 16 per cent would allow them to work on a temporary basis but not offer them a chance to become citizens.

In March 2006, the Pew Hispanic Center calculated the number of undocumented immigrants in the U.S. at somewhere between 11.5 million to 12 million.

On Apr. 19, the Arizona State Senate voted 17-11 to pass an immigration bill, also known as the Support Our Law Enforcement and Safe Neighborhood Act. The Arizona House of Representatives had previously endorsed the legislation in a 35-21 vote. The new bill includes provisions such as making it a crime to transport someone who is an illegal immigrant; requiring state and local police to determine the status of a person if there is "reasonable suspicion" that they are illegal immigrants; arresting people who are unable to provide documentation to prove they are in the U.S. legally; and making it a crime to hire day labourers off the street.

U.S. President Barack Obama called the Arizona immigration law "misguided" and called for "a common-sense, comprehensive immigration reform grounded in the principles of responsibility and accountability." The Justice Department has filed a lawsuit, claiming that only federal authorities should be in a position to enforce immigration laws.

On Jul. 7, Republican Arizona governor Jan Brewer defended the immigration law in the face of the lawsuit, saying, "Today’s [lawsuit] is nothing more than a massive waste of taxpayer funds; these funds could be better used against the violent Mexican cartels than the people of Arizona."

Polling Data

Which of these statements comes closer to your own point of view on the status of illegal immigrants who are currently working in the United States?

Complete Poll (PDF)

As the debate over Arizona’s immigration law reaches Washington, the proportion of Americans who would deport all illegal immigrants who are currently working in the United States has increased noticeably, a new Angus Reid Public Opinion poll has found.

In the online survey of a representative national sample of 1,002 American adults, 67 per cent of respondents say immigration is currently having a negative effect in the country, while only 17 per cent believe it is having a positive effect.

Only three-in-ten respondents (31%) think the current level of legal immigration should be maintained, while 45 per cent of Americans want the number of people allowed to relocate legally into the country to decrease.

Illegal Immigrants

As has been the case in previous surveys conducted this year by Angus Reid Public Opinion, most Americans hold negative views on illegal immigration. Three-in-five respondents (59%) believe the illegal immigrants in the United States take jobs away from American workers, while just one third (32%) regard them as people who are employed in jobs that American workers do not want.

The idea of a “path to citizenship” for illegal immigrants is only supported by 27 per cent of respondents, while a further 16 per cent would allow them to work in the U.S. on a temporary basis without an opportunity to become citizens. Half of Americans (50%) would require all illegal immigrants to leave their jobs and be deported—a proportion that has increased by eight points since June.

Arizona’s Immigration Bill

The immigration bill passed in Arizona earlier this year has provoked a heated debate over the status of illegal immigrants in the United States. The Justice Department has recently filed a lawsuit, claiming that only federal authorities should be in a position to enforce immigration laws.

A majority of respondents say they would like to implement some of the measures that are part of Arizona’s immigration bill in their own states, including making it a crime to transport someone who is an illegal immigrant (76%); arresting people who are unable to provide documentation to prove they are in the U.S. legally (67%); requiring state and local police to determine the status of a person if there is “reasonable suspicion” that they are illegal immigrants (66%); and making it a crime to hire laborers on the street (55%).

Full Report, Detailed Tables and Methodology (PDF)

CONTACT:

Mario Canseco, Vice President, Public Affairs
+877 730 3570
mario.canseco@angus-reid.com

Methodology: From July 8 to July 9, 2010, Angus Reid Public Opinion conducted an online survey among 1,002 American adults who are Springboard America panelists. The margin of error—which measures sampling variability—is +/- 3.1%. The results have been statistically weighted according to the most current education, age, gender and region Census data to ensure a sample representative of the entire adult population of the United States.