Go back: Hostility towards immigrants grows in US, France, Ireland, Canada

Americans have grown less welcoming towards immigrants in the United States without legal status, a Reuters/Ipsos poll conducted between December 5 and 10 has found. The findings come as the immigrant population reaches its highest level in over a century.

 

Support for staying has dipped to 33%, down from 39% in 2017, early in Donald Trump’s first term as president. Meanwhile, support for deporting most or all immigrants in the US illegally has risen slightly to 53%, up from 51% in 2017.

 

Political risk for trump's deportation agenda

 

Donald Trump, who will return to office on January 20 as the US President, has promised a crackdown on both legal and illegal immigration. In an interview aired on NBC News, he said, “I don’t want to be breaking up families, so the only way you don’t break up the family is you keep them together and you have to send them all back.”

 

 

Poll results suggest mixed opinions on his approach:

Detention camps: 30% support using detention camps for deportation processes, 53% oppose, and 17% are undecided.

Uncertainty: 14% were unsure or declined to answer on whether immigrants should stay, compared to 9% in 2017.

 

Divisions across demographic groups

 

Attitudes towards immigration showed stark differences across political affiliations and ethnic groups:

Republicans: Support for allowing immigrants to stay fell to 9%, from 18% in 2017.

Democrats: Support remains steady at 61%.

Hispanic respondents: Support for staying dropped to 47%, from 54%.

Black respondents: Support declined to 36%, from 58%.

White respondents: Support fell to 29%, from 33%.

 

Wider global trends reflect rising anti-immigrant sentiment

 

The United States is not alone in experiencing a shift in attitudes towards immigrants. Several other countries have reported growing hostility and protests against immigration.

 

Canada  

 

In Canada, an incident in October involving a Canadian citizen of Indian origin captured public attention after he faced a racist outburst in Waterloo, Ontario. The man, Ashwin Annamalai, shared a video of the encounter on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter), shedding light on the growing hostility towards immigrants in the country.

 

In the video, a woman berates Annamalai, telling him to "go back to India" and claiming, “You’re not Canadian. Too many Indians are in Canada, and I want you to go back.” Despite Annamalai calmly responding, “I am Canadian,” the woman persisted, accusing him of not belonging due to his heritage. She also made offensive gestures during the exchange.

 

Speaking about the incident, Annamalai wrote, “This was an eye-opener. It’s alarming to see this kind of racism still exists in a country known for its multiculturalism.”

 

The video sparked widespread discussion, with many expressing outrage and others pointing to broader issues of growing anti-immigrant sentiment in Canada.

 

Polls reveal shifting attitudes in Canada

 

A survey by the Environics Institute supports claims of changing perceptions, showing:

< 60% of Canadians now believe there is “too much immigration.”

< Fewer than 70% see immigration as economically beneficial, down from over 80% in previous years.

< A sharp 31-point rise in opposition to immigration since 2022.

 

The incident with Annamalai is not isolated, as hate crimes in Canada have doubled between 2019 and 2023, disproportionately targeting visible minorities, including Sikhs and South Asians.

 

A survey by the Environics Institute showed 60% of Canadians feel there is “too much immigration,” with less than 70% now believing it is economically beneficial, down from over 80% in previous years. This coincides with a doubling of hate crimes from 2019 to 2023, disproportionately affecting visible minorities.

 

Ireland

 

In November, anti-immigrant protests erupted in Dublin, challenging Ireland’s traditionally welcoming stance. The unrest was driven by opposition to refugee accommodation plans.

 

Spain

 

A survey by Instituto 40dB in October found that 57% of Spaniards feel there are too many immigrants, with 75% associating immigration with negative impacts on security and public services.

 

France

 

a June report from the National Consultative Commission on Human Rights noted a decline in tolerance, with their index dropping three points to 62, reflecting increased xenophobia.

 

Germany

 

Germany's far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party has gained momentum, with Alice Weidel nominated as their first chancellor candidate, focusing heavily on anti-immigration policies.

 

Latin America

 

Chile has also seen a sharp decline in support for open immigration policies, from 70% in 2017 to 42.5% in 2023, amid a surge in its foreign-born population.

 

Rising hate crimes and protests linked to anti-immigration sentiment

 

Protests and incidents of hate crimes are on the rise worldwide:

United States: The FBI recorded 11,862 hate crime incidents in 2023, many targeting immigrants and minorities.

Germany: The rise of the AfD has fuelled anti-immigration sentiment in the political arena.

Canada: Hate crimes have disproportionately targeted Sikhs and other visible minorities.

Ireland: Anti-immigrant demonstrations have become more common in response to government refugee policies.