Toronto: Apna Punjab Media: As sentiments against high-level immigration to Canada continue to grow, xenophobia targeting India, the largest group of newcomers, and Sikhs in particular, has become apparent. According to a recent survey by the Agency Ledger for the Association of Canadian Studies, 60 per cent of respondents felt “there are too many immigrants”, an increase of 10 per cent from February. The number was 35 percent in March 2019, when 49 percent felt the country was getting the right number of immigrants. This previous figure has now come down to 28 percent. According to the association, the level of opposition to immigration is at its highest “this century”.
The largest group of immigrants are Indians, whether they are permanent residents or on temporary visas such as study permits. And the most visible among them are the Sikhs, because they are different in appearance. This has led to racially motivated physical attacks in the province of Ontario alone in recent months, with one incident in the city of Peterborough classified by local police as a “hate crime”. According to the statement issued by Peterborough Police, on the morning of July 25, four youths spit on a man and removed his turban. Online attacks have also multiplied, including allegations of open defecation with signs depicting a turbaned man sitting on a beach.
Growing anti-immigration sentiment in Canada is targeting the Indian and Sikh communities

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