ABSTRACT
Cross-national evidence concerning public opinion about immigration suggests that similar factors drive views about immigration across different countries (Cornelius and Rosenblum 2005). It is also clear that cross-national differences in domestic environments, such as levels of economic performance (Kessler and Freeman 2005; O’Rourke and Sinnott 2006) and immigration levels (Lahav 2004), influence how domestic publics view immigration. Often overlooked in these assessments are the attitudes of immigrants themselves. In some countries, particularly such traditional receiving states as Australia and Canada, a considerable share of the population is foreign-born. The scale of migration flows into those countries have a greater potential to shape public opinion on immigration, both directly and indirectly, than in other countries with far fewer numbers of immigrants.
