Survey Finds 87 Per Cent of Newcomers to Canada Have Faced Discrimination
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A new WPP Canada survey titled “Canada’s New Voices” has found that 87 per cent of newcomers to Canada say they have experienced some form of discrimination, raising difficult questions about belonging, inclusion, and the gap between Canada’s multicultural image and the lived experience of many recent arrivals.
According to CityNews, the survey was based on more than 150 in-depth interviews with people who arrived in Canada after 2021. It aimed to help businesses and institutions better understand the experiences of a growing newcomer population, including how they navigate work, identity, belonging, and public life in Canada.
The most common triggers of discrimination were race, language or accent, and having foreign work experience or education dismissed. The report found that language and accents were directly cited in 31 per cent of cases, but may have played an underlying role in a much larger share of discriminatory experiences.
The findings also point to a deeper struggle over belonging. Sixteen per cent of respondents said they felt a person cannot truly belong in Canada unless they were born here, creating what researchers described as a “birthright barrier.” For some newcomers, that perception can turn integration into a process where they feel they must constantly prove they deserve a place in the country.
The report also found that about a quarter of newcomers are pulling back and relying mainly on their own communities, which may limit broader social and professional opportunities. Nearly one third said they are trying to integrate at any cost, sometimes at the expense of parts of their identity, while only 46 per cent said they had found a healthy balance.
The impact of discrimination can go far beyond individual incidents. Dismissing foreign credentials, treating an accent as a weakness, or assuming a newcomer is less capable can affect employment, confidence, mental health, and the decision to stay in Canada long term.
The survey found that fewer than one third of newcomers, 29 per cent, said they plan to settle permanently in Canada. That raises a serious question for policymakers, employers, and public institutions: how can a country that depends on immigration for its economy and labour force retain newcomers if many feel their skills, languages, and identities are not fully respected?
For immigrant and Arab communities, the findings reopen a sensitive but necessary conversation. Many newcomers are not asking for special treatment. They are asking for fair opportunity, respect, and recognition that a different accent, education system, or work history should not be treated as a sign of lower ability or weaker belonging.
