Angus Reid Poll: Most Canadians Would Grant Permanent Residence to U.S. Military Deserters
[VANCOUVER – Jun. 27, 2008] – A majority of Canadians would agree with the decision to let American military deserters stay in Canada as permanent residents, a new Angus Reid Strategies survey reveals.
Earlier this month, the House of Commons recently passed a non-binding motion calling on the federal government to grant residence to all U.S. soldiers who fled to Canada after refusing to take part in the Iraq War.
In the online survey of a representative national sample, three-in-five Canadians (64%) say they would agree to give these U.S. soldiers the opportunity to remain in Canada as permanent residents.
Quebec (70%) houses the highest proportion of respondents who agree with the motion, while Alberta (52%) has the fewest supporters.
A gender breakdown reveals that while both males and females would agree to let U.S. military deserters remain in Canada, females are much more sympathetic (69% versus 57%).
An analysis of the different education groups shows that the discrepancy between respondents with a university degree (67%), those with a college or technical school diploma (64%), and those with a high school education or less (58%) is also quite significant.
Finally, the age and income brackets do not reveal many notable differences amongst the respondents. Respondents aged 35-54 seem most supportive of granting permanent residency to the U.S. military deserters (66%), while the 18-34 group follows closely behind with 64 per cent, and Canadians aged 55 and over with 61 per cent. Respondents in households earning less than $50,000 a year (68%) are also more likely to agree with the decision to let the U.S. soldiers stay.
The U.S. Army’s maximum penalty for desertion is five years in confinement, dishonourable discharge and loss of all pay and benefits. There are thought to be about 200 U.S. military deserters in Canada.
Full Report, Detailes Tables and Methodology (PDF)