Most say immigration over the past decade has been too high, and that their governments have mismanaged the issue
A new YouGov survey shows that majorities across our seven EuroTrack nations (Britain, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Spain and Sweden) say that immigration to their countries over the past ten years has been too high. Germans and Spaniards are the most likely to say so, at 81% and 80%, while Danes are the least likely, at 55%. Here in Britain, 70% say that immigration rates have been too high.
Indeed, the most common sentiment is generally that immigration has been “much too high” – fully 61% of Germans say this, as do 54% of Spaniards and 50% of Britons.
When it comes to the impact of immigration, at least a plurality in each country say that immigration levels have been mostly bad for the country. Italians are the most likely to feel this way (56%), followed by Germans on 55%.
Four in ten Britons (42%) say immigration has been bad for the country – the second lowest rate across the countries. Three in ten Britons (30%) say it has been both good and bad for the country, while 21% say it has been mostly good for the nation – the highest across the seven EuroTrack areas.
Western Europeans see immigration as a top national issue, and disapprove of the way their governments having been handling it
Our regular tracker of the issues that Europeans consider to be among the top two facing their country shows immigration features heavily. Out of the 13 issues on our list, it features at least fourth in each country surveyed.
Germans are the most likely to consider immigration a top issue, at 42%, making it the top issue, effectively tied with the economy (41%). Separate YouGov polling during the recent German election campaign had likewise shown immigration as the top issue according to voters.
Here in Britain, 33% of people listed immigration as one of up to two most important problems facing the country, meaning it ranked third overall, behind the economy and healthcare.
There is unhappiness with the government handling of immigration across the board. In Germany and France the numbers saying the government are handling the issue badly reaches as high as 83% and 80%, respectively. Here in Britain that sentiment stands at 72%, and it falls no lower than the 52% in Denmark.
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