Canadian intolerance of immigrants grows

OTTAWA -- Canadian intolerance toward immigrants has grown significantly this year with a new government poll showing a nine-per-cent jump in the number of Canadians who believe \"too many\" immigrants are entering the country.


Thirty-eight per cent of Canadians said they believed Canada accepts too many immigrants, while 44 per cent (down from 49 per cent) said the number of newcomers was about right, according to a September study conducted for Citizenship and Immigration Canada.

Among usually accepting Quebec residents, 34 per cent say Canada is accepting too many immigrants. That's up by 15 percentage points.
But \"Ontarians continue to most likely feel that there are 'too many' immigrants coming to Canada [44 per cent, up from 37 per cent in a June survey],\" said the poll report. Meanwhile, 41 per cent (down from 43 per cent) believe the number of immigrants is right.

Ontario is the only province or region where a higher percentage of the population responded that there are too many immigrants than those who say the numbers are right.

The former Tory government in Ontario unsuccessfully campaigned on \"a made-for-Ontario immigration system\" plank in the recent election. The document also slammed the federal government, which has jurisdiction over immigration, for failing to keep \"criminal elements and potential terrorists out of our country.\"

Meanwhile, about 35 per cent of those in British Columbia, Atlantic Canada and the Prairies said there are too many immigrants, an increase of about 10 per cent. The Prairies showed the largest drop (by 11 percentage points to 44 per cent) of those saying about the right number of immigrants were entering the country. Residents of B.C. and the territories were most inclined to see immigration levels as being about right (46 per cent, down from 50 per cent). That view was shared by 42 per cent of Atlantic Canadians, down from 43 per cent.

The last significant fluctuation in poll tracking on immigration came after the 9/11 terrorist attacks in 2001 when the number of Canadians who felt the country was accepting about the right amount fell to 38 per cent from 47 per cent.
The national poll of 1,675 Canadians was conducted Sept. 2-7 by Pollara and is considered accurate within 2.4 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.

TOO MANY OR JUST RIGHT?
Canadians are in a period of lower tolerance toward immigration, according to a federal government poll conducted in September. Experts usually tie degree of immigration tolerance to perceptions of economic health. British Columbians stand out from the national picture with slightly higher acceptance of newcomers from foreign lands.

Quite informative !

Is it true that even Desis do not want more desis to enter Canada?
How about a true-to-heart discussion? Just a discussion. No personal offence please.

Indian

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There is no pleasure in having nothing to do; The fun is in having lots to do and not doing it.

I have been regulary watching the immigration section and some categories of people who come here from india. Day by day we here in alberta are seeing more crappy people entering here for work, most the of the crap that enter are with money power rather than educated, atleast alberta is 100 times better than ontario or vancouver.

There are two distinct issues:

1. Do we or "them" feel that Canada is allowing too many immigrants?

2. Do we or "them" feel that "non-natives" (immigrants) are bad for Canada?

If only number 1 is true, it is a healthy discussion because allowing too many immigrants into the country may cause economic hardship for both the immigrant as well as the person living here already (akin to all the "no jobs in Canada" saga that we hear and discuss all the time)

If the issue is about number 2 above, then there is a problem of intolerance.

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Dimple2001

\\\"You Reap what you Sow !\\\".

In my current employment location which is an US MNC, the employees are in the following proportions, 40% Desis, 40% Caribean, 20% others with the managers are all Goras. The typical complaint to the top management and topic of discussion in any meeting with the employees is the language of communication in the office. The Desi's talk in Hindi within themselves, while the others speak English with their heavy accent, while the two groups find it offensive when two people of the same background talk in their language between themselves when the third party is around. The Gora bosses are now so pissed off, after politely warning both the parties about this, have made a unwritten agenda, to hire people who are with Canadian grounding even if the person does not have the requisite education or back ground. It may even be a Desi who is born and brought up here.

It is interesting to find that when the Goras bosses discuss the Stanley Cup or the NBA finals, the whole crowd gives a blank look and then they start discussing cricket or soccer among themselves.

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Speech by Thomas Friedman of The New York Times....

"When we were young kids growing up in America, we were told to eat our
vegetables at dinner and not leave them. Mothers said, 'think of the
starving children in India and finish the dinner.' And now I tell my
children: 'Finish your maths homework. Think of the children in India
who would make you starve, if you don't.'"

I am not surprised. "Desis" can be annoying.

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You know you are a desi when ........ You spew forth the virtues of India, but don't want to live there...............You've never had a tanning salon membership