Three-Quarters (77%) of Americans Believe Potential Terrorist Have Slipped Into U.S. Through Canada

Slim Majority (52%) of Canadians Dispute Allegation That Country Has Become a Terrorist `Haven'

Toronto, ONTARIO - With recent stories in American and Canadian media alleging that the Canadian immigration and refugee system has allowed the country to become a terrorist `haven' and as such a threat to both American and Canadian national security, a new Ipsos-Reid/CTV/Globe and Mail poll released today, indicates that three-quarters (77%) of Americans believe that potential terrorists have infiltrated the United States through Canada. However, a majority (72%) of this group place the most blame at the feet of U.S. immigration and border security for allowing this to happen and not on Canadian immigration and refugee rules that allowed these individuals into Canada in the first place (15%).

A slightly higher number of Canadians (81%) agree that potential terrorist have slipped into the United States through Canada, but the highest number (42%) of these Canadians indicate that the fault lies mostly with Canada's immigration and refugee system, while 32% believe the most blame should be on U.S. immigration and border security. One-in-five (20%) indicate that blame for these incidents lie on both sides of the 49th parallel.

Meanwhile, a slim majority (52%) of Canadians do not agree with the recent allegations that the Canadian immigration and refugee system has made Canada a `haven' for terrorist who have used Canada as a base of operation to perpetrate terrorist activities against the United States, while a significant minority (45%) believes this to be the case.

These are the findings of an Ipsos-Reid/CTV/Globe and Mail poll conducted between April 30th and May 1st, 2002 among 1,000 randomly selected adult Canadians, and between May 3rd and May 6th, 2002 among 1,000 randomly selected adult Americans. With a sample of 1,000 the results are considered accurate to within 177 3.1 percentage points, 19 times out of 20, of what they would have been had the entire adult target population been polled. The margin of error will be larger within regions and for other sub-groupings of the survey population. These data were statistically weighted to ensure the sample's regional and age/sex composition reflects that of the actual Canadian and American populations according to Census data.

Three-Quarters (77%) of Americans Believe Potential Terrorist Have Slipped Into U.S. Through Canada

With recent stories carried in American and Canadian media alleging that Canada's immigration and refugee rules has allowed Canada to become a terrorist `haven' and as such a threat to both American and Canadian national security, three-quarters (77%) of Americans believe that potential terrorists have slipped into the United States through their northern neighbour, Canada.

• Americans most likely to believe that this has happened are men (82% versus 72% of women), and Americans 55 years of age or older (81% versus 72% of 18 to 34 year olds).
• Those with a college degree (81%) or some college (79%) are more likely than those with a high school or less education (69%) to say that these incidents have occurred.
• More Americans from middle (80%) and upper (79%) income households than from lower income households (70%) agree that this sort of thing has happened.

Majority (72%) of These Americans Blame U.S. Immigration and Border Security

However, when this group is asked whom is most to blame for these events occurring, seven-in-ten (72%) indicate that blame should be placed with U.S. immigration and border security, while only 15% believe that these incidents are the blame of Canada's immigration and refugee rules for allowing these individuals into Canada in the first place.

• Of this group of Americans that are slightly more likely to believe the blame lies mostly with American immigration and border security the highest number are located in the South (74%) and Midwest (74%) states, when compared to those in the West (70%) or Northeast (68%) regions.
• Americans among this group under the age of 55 (73%) are more likely to blame their own country's immigration and border security, than Americans 55 years of age and older (69%).
• Americans who believe that potential terrorists have entered the country through Canada who have some college education (18%) are more likely than those with a college degree (12%) to feel that most of the blame should be at the feet of American immigration and border control.
• Among this group of Americans there are only slight variances across gender, age, income and region as to those who believe that the blame for the infiltration of the United States by potential terrorists should be placed on Canadian immigration and refugee rules.

Eight-in-Ten (81%) Canadians Believe That Potential Terrorist Slipped Into U.S. Through Canada

A slightly higher number (81%) of Canadians believe that potential terrorists have been able to infiltrate the United States by first coming to Canada.

• Residents in Saskatchewan and Manitoba (87%) express the highest level of agreement with this view, followed by those in the Atlantic provinces (84%), Alberta (82%) and Ontario (82%). Residents of British Columbia (79%) and Quebec (79%) are less likely to believe this to be the case.
• Older (85%) Canadians are more likely than their younger (81%) or middle aged (80%) counterparts to believe this to be fact.
• Canadians from the highest income households (86%) are more likely than those in the lowest income households (76%) to believe this has happened. Canadians in middle income households (82%) are closer to the national average.
• Those with a university degree (84%) or other post-secondary (83%) education are more likely than those with a high school diploma (78%) or less education (75%) to say that these incidents have happened.

But Only Four-in-Ten (42%) Of These Canadians Specifically Blame Canada's Immigration and Refugee Rules

When Canadians who believe these incidents have occurred (81%) were asked a similar question, a plurality (42%) indicated that the fault lies most with Canada's immigration and refugee system for allowing potential terrorists into Canada in the first place, while 32% place the blame on U.S. immigration and border security. One-in-five (20%) indicate that both are to blame for these incidents happening.

• Regionally, the highest number of these Canadians that place the blame on Canadian immigration and refugee rules are located in Quebec (51%) and British Columbia (46%). Followed by Saskatchewan/Manitoba (42%), Alberta and Ontario (both 41%), while the least likely of this group to feel that most blame lies with Canadian immigration and refugee rules are located in Atlantic Canada (33%).
• Among this sub-group, those in Ontario (36%) and Atlantic Canada (36%) are more likely to place the blame for these incidents on American immigration and security, followed by those in Alberta (32%), and Saskatchewan/Manitoba (31%) and Quebec (28%). Of this group, those who are least likely to blame American immigration and border security are located in British Columbia (25%).
• A majority of older (51%) Canadians in this group place the most blame within Canada, compared to 44% of middle aged Canadians in this sub group, and just over one-third (36%) of younger Canadians that believe potential terrorists have entered the U.S. through Canada. While younger (42%) members of this group are more likely than their middle aged (28%) or older (26%) counterparts to place the most blame on American immigration and security.
• Women (46% versus 41% of men) in this sub group are more likely to blame Canadian immigration and refugee rules. Men (35% versus 29% of women) within this sub-group are more likely to believe that blame should be placed with American immigration and border security.
• Within this sub-group, those from middle income households (47%) are more likely to feel the most blame should be place with Canadian immigration and refugee than those from the lowest income households (39%). The opposite occurs regarding blame placed on American immigration and border security with more Canadians of this sub-group in lower income households (38%) believing this to be the case than those in higher (33%) or middle income households (28%).

However, A Slim Majority (52%) of Canadians Dispute Allegation That Country Has Become a Terrorist `Haven'

A slim majority (52%) of Canadians do not agree with the allegations that the Canadian immigration and refugee system has made Canada a `haven' for terrorist who have used the country as a base of operation to perpetrate terrorist activities against the United States. However, it should be noted that a significant minority (45%) agree with this view.

• Highest disagreement with this view is found among Ontarians (55%), those in the Atlantic provinces (55%) and Quebecers (53%), followed by residents of Saskatchewan/Manitoba (53%) and British Columbia (47%). Residents of Alberta (42%) are least likely to disagree with this view.
• Younger (57%) and middle aged (53%) Canadians are more likely to dispute this statement than older (45%) Canadians.
• Canadians at either end of the education spectrum (university degree 57%; less than a high school diploma 56%) are equally as likely to disagree with this allegation, and are more likely than those with a high school diploma (48%) or a post-secondary education (48%).
• Women (52%) and men (51%) are equally as likely to disagree with the view that Canada has become a `haven' for terrorists.

To view the complete release and tables, please open the attached PDF files.

For more information on this news release, please contact:

John Wright
Senior Vice-President
Public Affairs
Ipsos-Reid
(416) 324-2900