An Angus Reid poll about illegal migration is entirely unsurprising in its results. The findings suggest as many as 65 percent of respondents are opposed to the so-called irregular border crossings. These are people who arrive at poorly policed crossings with the US and plead for asylum. They are certainly pitiable. There were as many as 30,000 last year and they mostly wanted to come to Toronto. They may not have much knowledge of where else there is. Media coverage Friday is closely focussed on the poll’s conclusions about how many is “too many.” It does not seem to have asked about legal immigration and what parameters ought to apply. How many, from where, how qualified and where they might settle, at least in the beginning. Canada is a tiny country by population and by any reasonable analysis probably needs more people simply to hold its own among any of its North Atlantic allies. They are much bigger. So is Russia. So is China. Can we focus or merely stumble along? Angus Reid
