Europeans view immigration with increasing suspicion. Seven out of 10 Europeans believe that their country takes in too many migrants, according to a survey carried out by BVA Xsight for ARTE Europe Weekly, a project led by the French-German TV channel ARTE GEIE and which EL PAÍS has participated in, as part of the countdown to the European elections in June.

The survey shows that 85% of respondents feel the European Union needs to take more action to combat irregular migration. And only 39% believe that Europe needs immigration today.

The countries where most people consider immigration a problem are Bulgaria (74% of respondents), the Czech Republic (73%), Hungary and Cyprus (68% in both cases). Paradoxically, in Italy, the European country where the largest number of immigrants entered irregularly last year (157,652), only 44% of respondents viewed it as a problem and only 14% saw it as the main problem. In Greece and Spain, the second and third countries with the most irregular arrivals in 2023, respectively, only 11% of respondents considered it the issue of most concern to them, below the European average of 17%. However, Greece is the country where the most people (90%) believe their country takes in too many migrants.

  • john89@lemmy.ca
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    7 months ago

    Immigration is a good thing.

    On average, the more people contributing to an economy bolsters it.

    • Vipsu@lemmy.world
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      7 months ago

      There are more things to a stable and sustainable society than economy.

      With many European countries doing budget cuts to education, social security, healthcare etc many people are dissatisfied with their goverments. This can make it very hard to justify spending said budget on migrants or programs with aim to integrating migrants to the society.

      • P1nkman@lemmy.world
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        7 months ago

        But the budget cuts is so that they can reduce the taxes for the richest, which will trickle down and boost the economy even more! Let’s goooooo…

      • Tryptaminev@lemm.ee
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        7 months ago

        All those countries also suffer from a huge demographic catastrophe coming in. Unless they get a massive amount of young immigrant workers to stabilise the social systems, those systems will collapse alltogether.

        • Vipsu@lemmy.world
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          6 months ago

          Sure, but in order to solve that through migration we would need good infrastructure and effective processes to properly integrate these people to our societies. Unfortunately most of these countries do not have the money, expertise nor the will to implement these things properly making them fail not only their people but the refugees / migrants as well.

          These migrants also increase the need for more social security and better education as many of them struggle to find jobs due to lack of education, language skills or just general distrust/racism towards migrants. Add in the additional need for healthcare and day care services well further putting presure on social systems in verge of collapse.

          Now add in the possibility that artificial integeligence will cause causing unprecedented levels of unemployment in near future and how climate change may throw a wrench in the system at any point. I just don’t see how we can solve any of these problems under the current market economy.

      • boredtortoise@lemm.ee
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        7 months ago

        It’s just that the austerity cuts on basic living necessities create more instability, for native-born and new members of a society. But that’s probably the purpose, masses are easier to control when they struggle and are helpless

    • GBU_28@lemm.ee
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      7 months ago

      Who are you writing this for? Pretty obviously Lemmy agrees with this

        • GBU_28@lemm.ee
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          6 months ago

          Mine is clearly a meta comment addressed to the commenter I replied to. A critique.

          Their comment is a broad statement directed at the group en masse. That’s pretty clear.

    • Wanderer@lemm.ee
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      7 months ago

      This is just bullshit. I’m sorry but it isn’t true. The blanket statement for immigration being good is wrong.

      Immigration can be good and it can be bad.

      The problem is immigration is used as a huge catch all term. It’s hardly ever “immigration from the EU” “Highly educated immigration”.

      If you look at the data, not just throwing out what makes you feel good, the actual data shows a lot of immigration is bad. Both the UK and Denmark has shown this recently.

      The fact is we have been lied to over this. The government doesn’t want to raise taxes to invest in locals and they want to keep wages down and house prices high. Immigration has net been a negative for the individual.

      People wonder why so many are going to the far right. It’s because the left and centre are trying to gaslight us into thinking something is true when it isn’t.

      • afraid_of_zombies@lemmy.world
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        6 months ago

        My wife is an immigrant, pretty sure I can demonstrate multiple different ways how me (an individual) have received a net positive in my life because of her. Starting with big things like our children and ending with little things like how she helped me clean the house today.

        • Wanderer@lemm.ee
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          6 months ago

          Well decision aren’t made on an individual basis.

          The stats say that it costs the company money and the Danish data also says they commit way more crime. I’m sure victims of violent crime can mention multiple ways they have had net negatives from immigration.

          • afraid_of_zombies@lemmy.world
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            6 months ago

            Immigration has net been a negative for the individual.

            Well decision aren’t made on an individual basis.

            I do agree with you on one thing, your nation needs to invest in education. Very very obviously so.

            • Wanderer@lemm.ee
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              6 months ago

              Yes. Everyone just gets their “facts” from feels. Believing the world to be a certain way when the data says otherwise is dangerous. But people don’t want real information unfortunately.