Some European Countries, like Greece and Italy, are less receptive to immigrants
As immigrants from the Middle East and Africa continue to flood into Europe to escape poverty and war, they are receiving a warmer welcome in some places than others, according to a recent study. Among the countries least hospitable: Italy and Greece.
The Pew Research Center surveyed people in seven EU nations about how they viewed several aspects of the immigration influx into Europe and found that countries that are natural end-points for immigrants crossing the Mediterranean, like Italy and Greece, have overwhelmingly negative feelings about migrants in their countries.
According to the study, 80 percent of Italians and 86 percent of Greeks feel that fewer immigrants should be allowed into their countries. Further, 70 percent of Greeks and 69 percent of Italians also feel that immigrants are a burden on their respective countries because they take jobs and exploit social benefit programs.
The further away from these natural immigrant end-points, the more favorable people are about immigrants. In Poland, only 40 percent of those polled said fewer immigrants should be allowed. Although, 52 percent say that immigrants burden society by taking jobs and exploiting social benefit programs. In Germany, only 44 percent said fewer immigrants should be allowed.
Another study, the 2014 German Marshall Transatlantic Trends Survey, found that 60 percent of those in the EU as a whole disapprove with the way their governments are handling the immigration problem.
In the past few weeks, more than 1,300 migrants have drowned while trying to cross the Mediterranean. Most recently, a large boat carrying nearly 1,000 immigrants capsized off the coast of Libya. Officials fear that more than 900 immigrants lost their lives in the wreck.
Source: Vocativ
