Director of Policy and Engagement Clement Nocos recently participated in Pathways to Prosperity’s roundtable Understanding and Addressing Changing Attitudes toward Migrants and Immigration in Canada.
Presenting findings from our latest research project Shifting Borders: Canadian Attitudes Towards Immigration, Clement shared insights into public sentiments surrounding immigration policy among Canadians and its intersection with economic and social policies.
Watch: Understanding and Addressing Changing Attitudes toward Migrants and Immigration in Canada, May 14, 2025.
Nocos’ remarks emphasized the importance of understanding public opinion to inform progressive policy-making, highlighting the need for immigration policies that not only address economic needs but also uphold social justice and equity.
Unionized workers […] are much more likely to see the value of immigration in growing Canada’s workforce to keep social programs sustainable […] They do see the necessity of immigration more than other groups of Canadians.
Support for immigration remains strong among Canadians—particularly among unionized workers, younger generations, and those with personal or professional ties to immigration. However, this support is increasingly conditional on policy reforms that ensure fairness, justice, and long-term social and economic planning.
Public frustration is less about immigration itself and more about how Canada’s current policy has become overly reliant on temporary labour programs that prioritize employer convenience over worker rights and social cohesion.
Shifting Borders demonstrates that Canadians overwhelmingly value immigration’s contributions to the country’s economic vitality and multicultural fabric—but they want changes that better align with the original promise of Canada’s 1976 Immigration Act.
Taken together, these findings indicate that Canadians do support immigration. However, they want Canada’s immigration system to fulfill the economic objectives it was designed for […] to support the development of a strong and prosperous Canadian economy.
Read the full report: Shifting Borders: Canadian Attitudes Towards Immigration
Clement Nocos
Director of Policy and Engagement
Clement Nocos is the Broadbent Institute’s Director of Policy and Engagement, working with the Broadbent Fellows network to build policy agendas that support progressive change. He is also the Editor-in-Chief of the Broadbent Institute’s publication Perspectives: A Canadian Journal of Political Economy and Social Democracy.