By Mata Press Service

Public opposition to immigration is declining in Canada, with a new national poll showing a significant shift in attitudes as Ottawa prepares to unveil its next three-year immigration plan amid mounting pressure to admit more skilled workers.

The Environics Institute survey found that 48 per cent of Canadians now believe the country accepts too many immigrants, a drop of 10 percentage points from 2024, when public opposition reached its highest level in decades.

An equal proportion disagrees that immigration levels are too high, signalling a reversal of the public backlash that prompted the federal government to sharply reduce immigration targets and restrict international student admissions.

The findings come as Immigration Minister Lena Metlege Diab prepares to announce Canada's immigration targets for 2027 to 2029, covering permanent residents, temporary foreign workers and international students.

The government faces pressure from employers and provincial leaders to address labour shortages that could undermine Prime Minister Mark Carney's plans to expand Canada's energy, mining, defence and infrastructure sectors, including proposals for a new oil pipeline to the West Coast.

The Canadian construction industry alone is projected to need 306,200 workers by 2034, largely to replace retirees. With approximately 272,000 young workers expected to enter the industry, employers face a potential shortfall of more than 34,000 workers.

Labour shortages are already being reported in trades ranging from bricklaying in Ontario and carpentry in Quebec to heavy equipment operations in Saskatchewan.

Alberta, Saskatchewan and Newfoundland and Labrador are also pressing Ottawa for greater powers to select permanent residents and increase provincial immigration nominations to address local workforce shortages.

Against this backdrop, the Environics Institute contends that Canadian attitudes towards immigration are beginning to recover after several years of deteriorating public support.

“The latest Focus Canada survey finds that public opinion has begun to swing back toward more openness on immigration,” the institute states in its October 2026 report.

The survey, conducted in partnership with Toronto Metropolitan University's Diversity Institute, found that opposition to immigration climbed dramatically from 27 per cent in 2022 to 58 per cent in 2024, before easing to 56 per cent last year and 48 per cent in September 2026.

The institute attributes the earlier backlash partly to rapid population growth and concerns about the country's ability to provide adequate housing, infrastructure and public services.

Beginning in 2024, Ottawa responded by reducing immigration admissions, tightening temporary resident programs and limiting international student arrivals.

The current immigration plan sets permanent resident admissions at 380,000 annually through 2028, while seeking to reduce the proportion of temporary residents in Canada's population.

However, the institute reports that Canadians are increasingly recognizing immigration's economic contribution.

Seventy-five per cent believe immigration benefits the Canadian economy, up from 68 per cent in 2024.

Another 68 per cent reject the suggestion that immigrants take jobs away from Canadians, while 73 per cent support encouraging more immigrant entrepreneurs to establish businesses in the country.

“A large majority of Canadians continue to agree that immigration has a positive impact on the economy,” the institute states.

The findings come as business organizations warn that immigration restrictions could hamper Canada's ability to deliver major projects and expand domestic industries.

The Century Initiative, a think tank advocating long-term population growth, has warned that labour shortages could threaten Canada's defence and economic security ambitions.

Its workforce analysis identifies a shortage of approximately 25,000 cybersecurity workers, alongside substantial labour requirements in transportation, construction and emerging technologies.

The Environics Institute's findings also reveal sharp regional and political differences.

Alberta recorded the highest opposition to immigration, at 58 per cent, compared with 43 per cent in Quebec and 47 per cent in British Columbia.

Opposition declined by 10 percentage points over the past year in both Ontario and B.C.

Among Conservative supporters, 80 per cent believe Canada accepts too many immigrants, compared with 36 per cent of Liberal supporters and 20 per cent of NDP supporters.

Attitudes among immigrants and Canadian-born residents are considerably closer.

The poll found that 46 per cent of first-generation immigrants believe immigration levels are excessive, compared with 47 per cent of Canadians whose families have lived in the country for at least three generations.

Among racialized Canadians, 51 per cent expressed that view, compared with 47 per cent of white Canadians.

However, the survey also exposes continuing concerns about integration.

Fifty-seven per cent of Canadians believe too many newcomers are failing to adopt Canadian values, including 63 per cent of first-generation immigrants.

Skepticism about refugee claims remains elevated, with 44 per cent believing many people seeking refugee protection are not genuine refugees.

Despite the improvement in public attitudes, the institute cautions that support for immigration remains weaker than before the backlash that began in 2023.

“Despite these changes, opinions on the whole remain more negative than they were prior to the shift that began in 2023,” the report states.

The findings leave Ottawa facing a delicate balancing act as it weighs demands for more skilled immigrants against persistent concerns about housing, infrastructure and the integration of newcomers.

The telephone survey of 2,000 Canadian adults was conducted between September 8 and 21, 2026, and has a margin of error of plus or minus 2.2 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.