Majority Of Europeans Think Migrants Are ‘Burdens’ Who Take Jobs, Housing, And Healthcare

New research has revealed that a majority of Europeans believe that economic migrants “burden their country by taking jobs, housing, health etc” – with 59 per cent expressing the opinion to the Orb International research group.

In total nearly 14,000 people across Europe were polled, with the results reflecting a deep disdain for economic migration, though most also believed that European nations “should be doing more” to stop the refugee crisis.

When they were asked if their country in particular “should be doing more” the number dropped to just 30 per cent, with a plurality expressing that they believed their own government’s responses were adequate.

Just 13 per cent of those polled said they would give up a spare room to either an economic migrant or refugee. Three per cent said they would do it for an economic migrant only, whereas 12 per cent said they would do it for a refugee only. In total 65 per cent said they would not consider it.

And Britain’s approach is said to be particularly hostile to immigrants – likely as a result of the country’s open border policies which have pushed down wages and caused infrastructure saturation over the past decade.

While 65 per cent of Swedes, and 58 per cent of Spaniards said immigrants “strengthen our country through hard work and talents”, only 36 per cent of Britons said the same.

Bulgaria had the lowest response to this question, with just 9 per cent favouring economic migrants. Germany, France, Greece, the Netherlands, and Denmark were equally as tough as the United Kingdom – though this is hardly reflected in those countries’ government policies.

Johnny Heald, Managing Director of ORB International said: “These results show that the UK are some of the least likely to offer temporary shelter to a refugee and some of the least likely to criticise the response to the crisis from Europe”.

Eighty per cent of Britons said they would not consider taking in a migrant or refugee into their home, beaten only by Bulgaria on 86 per cent.