Canadians Agree (72%) People Should be Able to Seek Refuge from War and Persecution, but Few (10%) Like the Idea of Letting in More Refugees Post-Pandemic
Toronto, ON June 21, 2021 — A new global Ipsos study, carried out to mark World Refugee Day 2021, paints a mixed picture of attitudes towards refugees. Although Canadians agree (72%) with the idea that persons should be able to seek refuge from war and persecution, when it comes to putting principle into practice very few (10%) are willing to open up their borders to more refugees. Coupled with widespread skepticism (52%) over whether those seeking refuge are genuine, Ipsos data paints a picture that shows Canadians may not be as welcoming as our global reputation suggests.
However, Canada is certainly not an anomaly: across 28 countries surveyed, no country showed a majority in favour of increasing the number of refugees allowed into their country following the Coronavirus/COVID-19 outbreak, and there is little support for greater government spending on refugees around the world.
Despite half saying that refugees in Canada integrate well, four in ten declare we must close our borders entirely
Recent polling shows Canadians are divided in their attitudes towards refugees: half (54%) agree that most refugees that come to Canada will successfully integrate into their new society, while 37% disagree. On this particular metric, the attitudes of Canadians mirror those of the broader international community: the global average shows that 47% agree that refugees will integrate successfully into their new societies, while 44% disagree. The attitudes of Canadians fall near the centre: they are not as optimistic about refugee integration as respondents in Saudi Arabia (76%), India (68%), or Argentina (60%), but neither are they as pessimistic as residents of South Korea (29%), France (25%), or Japan (23%).
Canadians are split on isolationist issues: when provided with the statement “we must close our borders to refugees entirely – we can’t accept any at this time,” 50% disagree, but 42% agree. In short, four in ten believe Canada should close its border to all refugees. While this may seem severe, of the 28 countries polled, Canadians fall within the ten least restrictive-– those in Poland (34%), Japan (38%), the United States (41%) are least supportive of a closed border policy while those in Malaysia (82%), Turkey (75%), and India (69%) show stronger support for border closures.
Perhaps less surprising, in light of the global recession resulting from the pandemic, is the results showing that few Canadians want to open up their wallets and pay more to support refugees. When asked, “do you think the government in Canada should increase or decrease the amount it spends on support for refugees around the world due to coronavirus/COVID-19 or do you think it should keep spending the same as before the outbreak?” a majority agree that funding should remain the same (36%) or be decreased (42%), with only 8% electing to increase spending.
Canadians on par with global average regarding principle of refugeehood, but more fiscally conservative towards refugees than most other nations
While these figures may seem a departure for a nation that prides itself on being welcoming to refugees, a broader lens shows that Canadians are not alone in their split attitudes. The views of Canadians towards the principle of refuge (72% agree) are in line with the global average (70% globally agree with principle of refuge) and highly comparable to other nations of similar wealth and influence, including Great Britain (73% agree with principle of refuge), or the United States (71% agree with principle of refuge).
Furthermore, the data show the proportion of Canadians who feel we should be less open to refugees than before the pandemic (42%) is right on track with the global average (42%).
However, Canadians are more fiscally conscious than many other nations: only 8% believe the Canadian government should increase spending to support refugees around the world due to COVID-19, below the 14% global average. On this particular metric, Canadians are some of the most fiscally cautious, second only to the authoritarian nations of Russia (8% increase spending) and Turkey (8% increase spending) in their reluctance to increase spending for refugee supports.
Considering the dichotomy of broad support for the principle of seeking refuge despite widespread skepticism about whether refugees are genuine, the data suggests that there are no clear-cut attitudes towards refugees in Canada, or the international community. The data does indicate that there is a long way to go in both Canada, and in many nations, to improve attitudes towards refugees in practice rather than theory.
About the Study
These are the results of a 28-market survey conducted by Ipsos on its Global Advisor online platform. Ipsos interviewed a total of 19,510 adults, aged 18-74 in the United States, Canada, Malaysia, South Africa, and Turkey, and age 16-74 in 23 other markets between Friday, May 21st and Friday, June 4th, 2021.
The sample consists of approximately 1,000 individuals in each of Australia, Belgium, Canada, mainland China, France, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Japan, Spain, and the United States, and 500 individuals in each of Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Hungary, India, Malaysia, Mexico, the Netherlands, Peru, Poland, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, South Korea, Sweden, and Turkey.
The samples in Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Great Britain, Hungary, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Poland, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, and the US can be taken as representative of their general adult populations under the age of 75.
The samples in Brazil, mainland China, Chile, Colombia, India, Malaysia, Mexico, Peru, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, and Turkey are more urban, more educated, and/or more affluent than the general population. The survey results for these countries should be viewed as reflecting the views of the more “connected” segment of their population.
The data is weighted so that each country’s sample composition best reflects the demographic profile of the adult population according to the most recent census data.
The “Global Country Average” reflects the average result for all the countries and markets where the survey was conducted. It has not been adjusted to the population size of each country or market and is not intended to suggest a total result.
Where results do not sum to 100 or the “difference” appears to be +/-1 more/less than the actual, this may be due to rounding, multiple responses, or the exclusion of “don’t know” or not stated responses.
The precision of Ipsos online polls is calculated using a credibility interval with a poll of 1,000 accurate to +/- 3.5 percentage points and of 500 accurate to +/- 5.0 percentage points. For more information on the Ipsos use of credibility intervals, please visit the Ipsos website.
The publication of these findings abides by local rules and regulations.
For more information on this news release, please contact:
Jennifer McLeod Macey
Vice President, Ipsos Public Affairs
[email protected]
Haley Jones
Account Manager, Ipsos Public Affairs
[email protected]
About Ipsos
Ipsos is the world’s third largest Insights and Analytics company, present in 90 markets and employing more than 18,000 people.
Our passionately curious research professionals, analysts and scientists have built unique multi-specialist capabilities that provide true understanding and powerful insights into the actions, opinions and motivations of citizens, consumers, patients, customers or employees. We serve more than 5000 clients across the world with 75 business solutions.
Founded in France in 1975, Ipsos is listed on the Euronext Paris since July 1st, 1999. The company is part of the SBF 120 and the Mid-60 index and is eligible for the Deferred Settlement Service (SRD).
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