WINNIPEG

Majority support government decision not to increase 2017 refugee targets

CTV Winnipeg Published Monday, February 20, 2017 8:00AM CST

Some 350 different communities have accepted refugees, with more than 40 per cent settled in Ontario. (Source: Angus Reid Institute)

Text:

In a recent survey, a quarter of Canadians say they would support a Trump-style ban on Syrian refugees coming into Canada.

The latest Angus Reid Institute survey found while the majority of Canadians approve of how the Trudeau government has handled the refugee file, there is a split in opinion regarding the refugee targets for 2017.

Close to half of Canadians, 47 per cent, say the government is taking in the right number of refugees from Syria and other countries. They say the government hit the mark with 40,000 total refugees expected to enter Canada in 2017.

But 41 per cent say the total is too high, the Angus Reid survey reports.

Only 11 per cent said the number of refugees Canada is taking is too low and more should be allowed in.

This past weekend, the RCMP reported 22 asylum seekers were detained at Emerson, Manitoba.

The Angus Reid survey found while many communities across Canada have welcomed refugees, concerns still linger among a significant portion of the public regarding acceptance.

Close to four-in-ten Canadians, or 38 per cent, say that many people in their community would not be welcoming to a refugee family. This number is highest in Quebec at 46 per cent and drops ten points below average in British Columbia at 28 per cent.