According to a survey conducted by the think tank Confrontations Europe and the Viavoice institute among ten European countries, the French are the least favorable to legal immigration of non-European populations within the EU.
One in two French people say they are against legal immigration of non-European populations within the European Union (EU), according to the results of a European survey initiated by the think-tank Confrontations Europe and the Viavoice institute, carried out among residents of ten EU countries and which Franceinfo was able to consult on Wednesday September 20. We reveal the main lessons of this study.
The French are the most reluctant according to the study
In detail, 12% of French people questioned say they “completely supportive” to legal immigration of non-European populations within the EU, 29% “rather favorable”while 30% of French people surveyed are there “rather opposite”and 20% “completely opposite”. 9% of them do not comment. According to this survey, French residents are the least favorable to legal immigration of non-European populations within the EU, since 78% of Spaniards lean in favor of this immigration, as do 76% of Italians, 70% of Romanians, 56% of Greeks, 49% of Swedes, 48% of Germans, 46% of Belgians and Poles and 43% of Hungarians.
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Concerning the free movement of European citizens within the countries of the Union, the Romanians, Italians, Spaniards and Greeks are the most enthusiastic on the subject (more than 9 out of 10 say they are in favor), while the Belgians (75%), the French and the Swedes (71%) are more measured.
In all the European countries surveyed, a majority of residents believe that immigration is too high in their country and in Europe, with the exception of Greece (only 45% believe that there is too much immigration in their country and 38% in Europe) and Romania (53% believe that there is too much immigration in Europe but only 38% in Romania). The German (74%), Italian (73%) and French (71%) opinions are those who most believe that immigration is too high in their country. These are the same countries that most judge that immigration is excessive in Europe, with Hungary (73% in Germany, 69% in France and Hungary and 68% in Italy).
The reality of immigration little known to Europeans
IIt also emerges from this survey that Europeans know little about immigration to the continent. The investigation also reveals “the importance of media coverage of migrant landings in the Mediterranean on their perceptions”. While around 2 million people have legally immigrated to the European Union in 2022, this reality is ignored or overestimated by two thirds of Europeans. If in Greece 33% give the correct answer and 29% answer 5 million (an incorrect answer but relatively close to reality), less than 3 out of 10 answer correctly in the 9 other countries surveyed, a large part giving no answer. answer.
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For 8 out of 10 countries surveyed, the main advantage of immigration to the European Union is the provision of labor for unskilled professions. Then comes demographic growth in aging countries (first response in Spain but also widely cited in the other Mediterranean countries of Italy and Greece) and the supply of qualified labor (first response in Germany).
Different expectations depending on the country in the face of the migration challenge
Faced with the challenge posed by migratory flows towards Europe in the next five years, the priorities of Europeans differ: for France, Hungary, Poland and Greece, the first policy must be the strengthening of border controls of EU countries (accompanied by a strengthening of border controls in the countries of origin of migrants). In Spain, Romania and Sweden, it is the promotion of the social integration of immigrants (via language, education, work and housing) which is primarily desired, while in Germany and Italy, The first policy must be a quantified distribution (quotas) of immigrant populations between EU countries.
Survey methodology: The interviews were carried out online from August 28 to September 5, 2023 with 10 samples of 500 individuals, representative of populations aged 18 and over in 10 countries (France, Spain, Italy, Germany, Poland, Belgium, Hungary, Sweden , Romania, Greece). Representativeness was ensured by the establishment of quotas on gender, age, profession/income level and region of residence of the respondents.