New immigrants less likely to support more immigra

Se how thise people dont like us at all.

A startling new study published in the Toronto Star suggests that recent immigrants are less supportive of adding newcomers to Canada than native-born Canadians.

The study by the Institute for Research on Public Policy found overall support for immigration remains high, despite economic worries, threats of terrorism and high-profile cases of illegal immigration, such as the arrival of a boatload of Sri Lankan migrants off the B.C. coast a couple of years ago.

The report's author, Jeffrey Reitz of the University of Toronto's Munk School of Global Affairs, reviewed annual Canadian surveys by three major polling firms going back to 1976. He found more than 50 per cent of Canadians supported immigration levels at the time or even wanted them increased. There was an exception in 1982, a recession year.

But Reitz found that while 58 per cent of those born in Canada favoured immigration, among recent newcomers and visible minorities the figure dropped to 54.9 per cent.

Reitz said it appears recent immigrants from developing countries tend to have more conservative social values and therefore less enthused about large-scale immigration, like Conservatives.

"Conservative supporters are less enthusiastic about immigration and multiculturalism," he told the Star. "Their strategy (during May's federal election) was to seek support from immigrants by tapping into their conservative social values."

Reitz also found one 2010 poll whee 82 per cent of respondents agreed immigration had a positive effect on the economy, but among the unemployed, that support dropped to 68 per cent.

There are also some regional differences, with support for immigration higher in the Atlantic provinces, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Quebec than in Ontario, Alberta and British Columbia.

"When you have a lot of immigrants in one area, people may get turned off by the sheer numbers and think they've got enough and do not need as many," Reitz explained.

Education levels are the most important factor connected with support for current immigration levels, the study revealed. About 70 per cent of those with a university degree supported current numbers, compared with 43 per cent of those with a high school diploma or less.