Almost three-and-a-half years after Russia invaded Ukraine, Canadians remain broadly supportive of taking in Ukrainian migrants fleeing their war-torn country, although there has been a drop in support.
A new poll conducted by Leger for the Association for Canadian Studies and the Metropolis Institute finds that 23 per cent of Canadians believe more Ukrainians should be brought to safety, while 40 per cent believe right number are coming. A further 23 per cent of poll respondents say that fewer Ukrainians should be brought to Canada.
In
February 2023, polling found
that 43 per cent of Canadians said the country should keep doing what it’s doing when it comes to welcoming Ukrainians, and 29 per cent said Canada should do more to resettle Ukrainian refugees. Just 16 per cent said Canada should do less.
“What you’re seeing now is that some of the pushback on immigration that we’ve seen … is also impacting support for Ukrainian migration to Canada,” said Jack Jedwab, president of the Association for Canadian Studies.
The war between Ukraine and Russia is well into its third year, despite pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump for Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to hammer out a ceasefire agreement. Trump has set a deadline of Friday for Russia to agree to peace, or else face a round of American sanctions.
While ceasefire talks grind on, fighting continues across Ukraine. Russian missile strikes on Kyiv last month killed and injured dozens of Ukrainians. Reuters reported on Tuesday that Putin intends to capture the Ukrainian regions of Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson before seriously engaging in any peace talks.
The number of Ukrainians seeking shelter in Canada has declined considerably, according to data compiled by the Association for Canadian Studies. In the years leading up to Putin’s February 2022 invasion of his neighbour, there were around 2,000 Ukrainians emigrating to Canada each year. That increased considerably after the invasion. In 2022, 78,360 came to Canada. In 2023, it was 103,350 and in 2024, 111,960 moved to Canada under the International Mobility Program.
In the first quarter of 2024, 66,720 Ukrainians came to Canada. But in the first quarter of 2025, only 21,110 Ukrainians arrived — a nearly 69-per-cent drop compared to the first quarter of 2024.
Those aged between 18 and 24, at 13 per cent, are the least likely to believe that Canada should decrease the number of Ukrainians coming to the country, while 30 per cent of those between the ages of 35 and 64 believe there should be fewer Ukrainians coming to Canada.
Thirty-three per cent of those in Manitoba and Saskatchewan believe fewer Ukrainians should be given temporary visas — the highest proportion in the country. In neighbouring Alberta, only 22 per cent hold that view, as do 25 per cent of British Columbians, 23 per cent of Ontarians, 21 per cent of Quebecers and 18 per cent of Atlantic Canadians.
Those in Saskatchewan and Manitoba, at 17 per cent, are least likely to say Canada should accept more Ukrainians, while 32 per cent of Atlantic Canadians believe we should.
Canadians are somewhat more skeptical of temporary workers; only 12 per cent say Canada should allow more temporary workers into the country, while 41 per cent say the numbers should stay the same and 34 per cent said fewer should be allowed into the country. Temporary foreign workers, according to Statistics Canada, may hold permits for work, study or other purposes; as of 2021, there were roughly 845,000 temporary foreign workers in Canada.
Those who favour increases in temporary foreign workers are more likely to support more Ukrainians coming to Canada, the polling found. Forty-nine per cent of those who support more TFWs also support more Ukrainians, while 48 per cent who say they want fewer TFWs also want fewer Ukrainians.
“(The) net meaning of this is or net implication is some of the pushback we’re seeing in immigration, both permanent and temporary, is spilling over,” said Jedwab. “Before the pushback on immigration, there was really, really large scale support across the country for admitting those Ukrainians. Now, you’re seeing some slippage, because it’s sort of aligning a bit with the overall pushback on immigration.”
Support for accepting Ukrainians into the country is higher among those who say they have a good understanding of the conflict. Forty-one per cent of those who say they have a “very good” understanding of Putin’s invasion of Ukraine say Canada should increase its intake of Ukrainians, while 36 per cent of them say the number should remain the same. Just 18 per cent of those who say they have a very good understanding believe that fewer Ukrainians should come to Canada.
In contrast, those who say they have “barely any” understanding are far more likely to support reductions in the numbers of Ukrainians coming to Canada: 34 per cent say there should be fewer, compared to just 10 per cent who said Canada’s intake should be increased.
“There’s an important relationship between people being sensitized to what actually is going on right now and their openness to Ukrainian migration,” said Jedwab.
Those who believe that Canada is not doing enough are also more likely to say Canada should take more Ukrainian migrants. Fifty-one per cent who say Canada’s support should be increased also say Canada should take in more Ukrainians, and 38 per cent say the intake should remain the same. Just seven per cent say there should be fewer Ukrainians coming to Canada. When it comes to those who think Canada is striking the right balance on Ukraine, 52 per cent say the number of temporary permits issued should remain the same, while 26 per cent say more should be brought in and 15 per cent say there should be fewer.
More than half of those who believe Canada is doing too much to support Ukraine — 55 per cent — say that fewer Ukrainians should be allowed into Canada, while just 11 per cent say more should be brought to Canada and 27 per cent say the numbers should remain the same.
The online poll was conducted by Leger Marketing among 1,511 respondents in Canada between June 6 and June 8, 2025. A margin of error cannot be associated with a non-probability sample in a panel survey for comparison purposes. A probability sample of 1,511 respondents in Canada would have a margin of error of ±2.5 per cent, 19 times out of 20.
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