CANADIANS SPLIT ON ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION ISSUE

HALF (49%) OF CANADIANS SAY THE ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS THAT LANDED ON THE COAST OF B.C. SHOULD BE IMMEDIATELY DEPORTED BACK TO CHINA - THE OTHER HALF (49%) THINK THEY SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO APPLY FOR REFUGEE STATUS AND STAY IN CANADA WHILE THEIR APPLICATION IS REVIEWED

ONLY THREE IN TEN (28%) AGREE THAT ANYONE WHO MAKES IT HERE FROM CHINA SHOULD BE ACCEPTED AS A REFUGEE - 70% DISAGREE

IN FACT, THE MAJORITY (53%) OF CANADIANS SAY CANADA'S REFUGEE POLICY MAKES IT "TOO EASY TO BE ACCEPTED AS A REFUGEE" - 34% SAY IT'S ABOUT RIGHT WHILE ONLY 8% INSIST IT IS "TOO HARD TO BE ACCEPTED AS A REFUGEE"

This Angus Reid Group/Globe and Mail/CTV poll is based on a national telephone survey conducted between August 23rd and August 26th, 1999 among a representative cross-section of 1,502 Canadian adults. These data are statistically weighted to ensure the sample's regional, age and sex composition reflects that of the actual Canadian population according to 1996 Census data. With a national sample of 1,502, one can say with 95 percent certainty that the overall results are within +2.5 percentage points of what they would have been had the entire adult Canadian population been polled. The margin of error will be larger for other sub-groupings of the survey population.

Within the past month, two boatloads of illegal immigrants from China landed on the coast of B.C.. Half of Canadians (49%) say these people should be immediately deported back to China. The other half (49%) think they should be allowed to apply for refugee status and stay in Canada while their applications are reviewed. Support for deporting these illegal immigrants may be partially due to the less than three-in-10 (28%) Canadians who agree that anyone who makes it to Canada from China should be accepted as a refugee because China is a repressive communist state - 70% disagreed.

In fact, the majority (53%) of Canadians say "Canada's refugee policy makes it too easy to be accepted as a refugee". Another third (34%) say Canada's refugee policy is "about as it should be" while a mere 8% say the refugee policy makes it "too hard to be accepted as a refugee". When compared to the immigration policy in other countries, half (51%) of Canadians say Canada should "do whatever the average country does" compared to the 34% who expect Canada to do more for refugees than other countries do - 11% said Canada should do less. Canadians are evenly split on whether immigration officials should be more worried about accidentally letting someone stay in Canada when they are not a legitimate refugee (49%) and forcing someone to return to their country when they really deserve to be considered a refugee (47%).

These are the highlights gleaned from a national Angus Reid Group/Globe and Mail/CTV telephone survey of 1,502 Canadian adults. Interviews were conducted between August 23rd and August 26th, 1999. A sample size of 1,502 is said to have a corresponding margin of error of +2.5 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.

CANADIANS SPLIT ON ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION ISSUE

Half of Canadians (49%) say the illegal immigrants that arrived on the coast of B.C. should be "immediately deported back to China". The other half (49%) think they should be "allowed to apply as refugees to Canada and be allowed to stay here while their applications are reviewed". Only 2% were unable to offer an opinion.

• Residents of Quebec (56%) and Atlantic Canada (63%) are more likely to say illegal immigrants from China should be allowed to apply for refugee status and stay in Canada while doing so
.
• Younger Canadians (aged 18 to 24, 44%) are less likely to suggest that the illegal immigrants should be deported to China immediately (aged 35+, 51%). In fact, younger Canadians demonstrate consistently more lenient attitudes toward immigration.
• University educated Canadians are also more lenient toward immigration policy in Canada. Fifty five percent say they believe the refugees should be allowed to stay and apply for refugee status - compared to a national average of 49%.
• Men (52%) are more likely than women (46%) to recommend the deportation of these illegal immigrants.

LESS THAN THREE-IN-TEN (28%) CANADIANS THINK ANYONE FROM CHINA, A REPRESSIVE AND COMMUNIST STATE, SHOULD BE ACCEPTED AS A REFUGEE

Support for deporting these illegal immigrants may be partially due to the less than three-in-ten (28%) Canadians who agree that "China is a repressive communist state, therefore, anyone who makes it to Canada from China should be accepted as a refugee". However, even the support for this argument is lukewarm as only 6% "strongly agree" that anyone from China should be accepted as a refugee - 22% "somewhat agree". Disagreement (70%) is evenly divided between those who "somewhat disagree" (35%) and "strongly disagree" (35%).

• British Columbians (17%) were least likely to suggest that anyone from China that makes it to Canada should be accepted as a refugee.
• Respondents in Quebec (34%), Saskatchewan/Manitoba (36%) and Atlantic Canada (40%) are more likely than the national average (28%) to suggest that anyone from China should be accepted as a refugee.
• Women (31%) are more likely than men (26%) and low-income households are more likely than the national average (36%) to agree with accepting anyone from China as a refugee.

THE MAJORITY (53%) OF CANADIANS SAY CANADA'S IMMIGRATION POLICY MAKES IT "TOO EASY TO BE ACCEPTED AS A REFUGEE"

The majority (53%) of Canadians say the immigration policy in Canada is "too easy". Another third (34%) say Canada's immigration policy is "about as it should be" while a mere 8% say the refugee policy makes it "too hard to be accepted as a refugee".

• B.C. (64%), Alberta (63%) and Ontario (60%) residents are most likely to say Canada's refugee policy makes it too easy to be accepted as a refugee. Respondents in Saskatchewan/Manitoba (49%), Quebec (39%) and Atlantic Canada (39%) are much less likely to think that Canada's refugee policy is too easy.
• The belief that Canada's refugee policy is too easy increases as the age demographic increases (18 to 34, 45%; 35 to 54, 53%; and, 55+, 63%).
• As the respondents' educational level increases, the likelihood of thinking Canada's refugee policy is too easy decreases (high school or less, 58%; some post-secondary, 54%; and, university, 47%).
• Low income households earning less than $30,000 per year (49%) are less likely than higher income households (56%) to believe that Canada's refugee policy is too easy.

ONE THIRD (34%) OF CANADIANS EXPECT CANADA TO DO MORE FOR REFUGEES THAN OTHER COUNTRIES DO - HOWEVER, HALF (51%) SAY IT SHOULD DO WHATEVER THE AVERAGE COUNTRY DOES

When compared to the immigration policies of other countries, one third (34%) of Canadians would "like to see Canada do more for refugees than other countries do". However, the majority (51%) believe that Canada should "do whatever the average country does". Eleven percent of Canadians think Canada should "do less than other countries like us do".

• Young Canadians (44%) are most likely to suggest that Canada should do more for refugees than other countries.
• Regionally, B.C.'s opinion is consistent with the national average.
• Quebecers (63%) are most likely to suggest that Canada should do whatever the average country does regarding refugees. They (26%) are also least likely to suggest that Canada should do more for refugees than other countries.
• Canadians with a university education (41%) are more likely than the national average (34%) to suggest that Canada should do more for refugees than other countries.

EVEN SPLIT ON WHETHER TO BE MORE WORRIED ABOUT ALLOWING SOMEONE TO STAY IN CANADA WHO IS NOT A LEGITIMATE REFUGEE (49%) OR RETURNING AN IMMIGRANT TO THEIR COUNTRY WHEN THEY DESERVE REFUGEE STATUS (47%)

Canadians are evenly split on whether immigration officials should be more worried about "accidentally letting someone stay in Canada when they are not a legitimate refugee" (49%) and "forcing someone to return to their country when in fact they really deserve to be considered as refugees" (47%).

• Younger Canadians (aged 18 to 34, 53%) and university educated Canadians (52%) are most likely to suggest that immigration officials should be more worried about forcing someone to return to their country when they actually deserve to be considered a refugee.

For further information contact:

John Wright
Senior Vice-President
Angus Reid Group
(416) 324-2900

The Angus Reid Group is Canada's largest and most well known Canadian research company. Established in 1979 by Dr. Angus Reid, the company serves 1200 clients via its six offices in Canada, four offices in the United States and its European office in London, England. With a compliment of 250 full time qualitative and quantitative researchers, the company has annual revenues of $65 Million and is growing at an average rate of 30 percent per year. The employee owned company also operates its own field service entity, Direct Reid, utilizing 450 CATI telephone interviewing stations for north American calling and a 50,000 household consumer panel in Canada.