Younger people's opposition to an increase in immigration, which they attributed to housing affordability, contributed to the "sharpest reversal" in public opinion of immigration to Canada in fifty years.
This was one of the findings of a recent study released by the Centre of Excellence on the Canadian Federation of the Institute for Research on Public Policy. The immigration brief, written by Randy Besco, an associate professor at the University of Toronto, and Natasha Goel, a scholar there, was based on more than 40 years of Environics Institute surveys.
According to the authors, "opposition to immigration rose quickly in 2023–2024, showing the sharpest reversal in public opinion since at least the late 1970s."

Given that Canada is known for being open, multicultural, and pro-immigrant, some people may be surprised by the retrenchment on immigration. Public opinion has not always concurred with this image, despite the fact that this has generally been accurate at the policy level, they said.
They cited survey data indicating that, at least between the late 1970s and the mid-1990s, the majority of Canadians desired fewer immigration. Before the present anti-immigrant trend formed, public opinion about immigration improved in the mid-1990s and continued to do so into the mid-2000s. After that, it stabilized for more than ten years.
The generational gap shows the most noticeable reversal. Immigrants had traditionally been viewed negatively by older Canadians.

However, younger respondents showed greater levels of opposition in the most recent surveys, according to the paper.
"This change may reflect concern about the housing affordability crisis, which disproportionately affects younger Canadians," it continued, citing high rents and few opportunities for home ownership along with political statements and media coverage that might be causing younger respondents to associate immigration with their financial concerns.

Since late 2023, the government has reduced immigration due to concerns over immigration, especially in the temporary category. The backlash was caused by an increase in immigration under then-prime minister Justin Trudeau. However, years of policy that encouraged more immigration have been reversed as a result of pressure on politicians to address that issue.
In response to this feeling, the government's levels plan, which was presented to Parliament in November, reduced the anticipated inflow of temporary residents by about 43%.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada said at the time, "We are regaining control over the immigration system and putting Canada on a trajectory to bring immigration back to sustainable levels—allowing us to fulfill the promise of Canada to those who call it home."