Canada has enough problems without refugees, say those
opposed
Most opposed say nothing will change
their minds
TORONTO
December 8th, 2015 - In a random sampling of public opinion taken by
the Forum Poll among 721 of the 4-in-10 Canadians (44%) who oppose the planned
refugee resettlement, one half are opposed because “we have enough problems in
this country already” (49%), while about one third each oppose the plan because
“refugees are a terrorist threat” (39%) or because they object to the cost of
the exercise (35%). Other reasons mentioned include being a threat to Canadian
culture (25%) and the number being resettled (28%).
Minds of those opposed will not change
their minds
The
majority of those opposed to the refugee plan say nothing would make them
change their opposition (55%), and that includes even if the refugees were not
Muslim (13%), if they were Christian (10%), if they weren’t Middle Eastern (8%)
and if the Paris attacks had never happened (7%).
“It does not appear overt racism is behind the
reluctance some feel about welcoming the Syrian refugees to Canada, but, for a
minority, it appears fear and bigotry are acceptable reasons to object to this
plan,” said Forum Research President, Dr. Lorne Bozinoff.
Lorne Bozinoff, Ph.D. is the president and
founder of Forum Research. He can be reached at lbozinoff@forumresearch.com
or at (416) 960-9603.
