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.

    • @BassTurd
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      2312 days ago

      That’s how I was taught to write it. One through nine get written out and anything 10 or higher is numeric.

      • @Stegget
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        911 days ago

        yeah, it’s AP style guidelines.

        • @[email protected]
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          11 days ago

          I was taught that the default is to write out numbers, but if you’re comparing multiple numbers, they’re normally supposed to be written in numeric form. I feel like they should have either started with a number or restructured the sentence.

          googles

          Apparently AP style guidelines say that for ten and above, you should use numeric form. Below that, write it out. That may be the driving factor here.

          https://writingexplained.org/ap-style/ap-style-numbers

          In general you should spell out numbers one through nine in AP Style. Consider the following examples of AP Style numbers,

          • The Chicago White Sox finished second.

          • She had six months left of her pregnancy.

          You should use figures for 10 or above and whenever preceding a unit of measure or referring to ages of people, animals, events or things. Also use figures in all tabular matter, and in statistical and sequential forms.

          I generally agree with most press conventions, and I’d buy into some of that, but I don’t think I really like the “ten cutoff” convention.

          • @Stegget
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            311 days ago

            As a former ink stained wretch, I can confirm that is the reason.

    • Todd Bonzalez
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      1411 days ago

      From the AP Stylebook:

      Spell out all numerals that begin a sentence, except a calendar year. Unless another specific rule applies, spell out whole numbers below 10 and use figures for 10 and above.

  • @[email protected]
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    2612 days ago

    Immigration is a good thing.

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

    • @Vipsu
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      1512 days 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
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        911 days 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…

      • @[email protected]
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        511 days 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
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          010 days 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.

      • @[email protected]
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        411 days 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

    • @[email protected]
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      -411 days 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
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        211 days 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.

        • @[email protected]
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          -511 days 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
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            11 days 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.

            • @[email protected]
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              010 days 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.

  • @3volver
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    11 days ago

    Immigration is all about cheap labor. In the US there’s a reason why so many seasonal workers come in illegally. It’s because it’s cheaper for the agricultural overlords and they make greater profits needing to pay undocumented workers less. Remember the money, it’s always about the money.

    https://www.newsweek.com/nearly-half-us-farmworkers-undocumented-ending-illegal-immigration-could-devastate-economy-1585202

    The corporations want us to be xenophobic, they want us to hate “illegal aliens” for “stealing our jobs” because it allows them to continue to profit at record levels.

    • @afraid_of_zombies
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      311 days ago

      How does convincing people to be against cheap labor help companies that want cheap labor? That’s like oil companies funding anti-oil campaigns

      • @[email protected]
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        1011 days ago

        They want society to oppose immigration and work visas so that these people will have to work as illegals, for lower pay and worse working conditions.

        Despite all the right wing wall talk, the wealthy actually benefit from a somewhat porous border for this reason.

    • @pHr34kY
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      -1112 days ago

      Seven out of 10 Europeans believe their country takes in too many immigrants

      …So, 30% of EU are immigrants?

      • Riddick3001
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        711 days ago

        The EU has been hosting many immigrants for decades, and many have become citizens.

        Surprisingly though,it seems that many EU citizens with a migration background, ( for example 1st and 2nd generation etc) in the EU vote against new immigrants. They usually perceive it as a threat against their economic/housing/children’s stability & future.

        • @Stegget
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          611 days ago

          Ah, yes, truly the sign that they’ve integrated into society.

        • @[email protected]
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          -111 days ago

          … Or because they see the things they ran away from following them. But of course this is not compatible with the myth that immigration is unconditionally good, so its better to pretend those immigrants are just trying to close the door behind them (have people who say this shit ever spoken to actual immigrants BTW?)

  • @TokenBoomer
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    1010 days ago

    Man, they’re really not gonna like the coming climate migration.

    • FenrirIII
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      19 days ago

      It’s going to become Children of Men violent

      • @TokenBoomer
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        29 days ago

        Thanks for reminding me I need to watch the movie again.

  • VodkaSolution
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    811 days ago

    Italian here. It seems a very low percentage considering how big the immigration issue is perceveid on the media and in the political talks. It was also a big part of the campaign the led the right/center right to win the past elections.

  • Drusas
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    711 days ago

    Well, they better get ready for more as increasing numbers of people become climate refugees from the Middle East and global south.

  • @[email protected]
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    11 days ago

    Scapegoats for decades of failed neoliberal capitalism that’s led to massive inequality. Massive wealth accumulated by slivers of the populations.

  • @[email protected]
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    510 days ago

    It’s a really different situation from America, where xenophobic stuff is concentrated in a very angry, specific slice of the population. It makes me wonder if the EU far-right is less emerging fascism, and more a return to East Asian-style policies, which might have been more natural all along in ancient (former and current) kingdoms.

    Just a thought. I’m not even sure I believe it, let alone can prove it, so I guess as they say in Musk-land, “don’t at me”.

  • @Noite_Etion
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    512 days ago

    7 out of 10 Britons believe their country takes in too many Saxons!

  • Neon 🇺🇦🇪🇺🇹🇼🇮🇱
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    -410 days ago

    look. you can’t write out one number and then not write out the other. you have to decide yourself. either “seven out of ten” or “7 out of 10”

  • @RandomGuy79
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    -2012 days ago

    Yeah it’s great. Just great. Until your government imports so many that you can’t afford to live anywhere and can’t pick up a second job because of all the doctors and engineers.

    • @[email protected]
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      1811 days ago

      Pst, here’s a secret… capitalism is causing that to happen world wide - including in countries with low immigration.

      • @RandomGuy79
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        -111 days ago

        OK. What’s your fix? Because as a person on the ground whats effecting me -right now- is so many people came that rent skyrocketed and they took all the weekend work “as students”

        • @[email protected]
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          311 days ago

          If you’re familiar with copy-left licensing then short term my fix is to start encumbering properties with perpetual clauses prohibiting non-natural person ownership. I think if we could get a few sellers to start including such a clause it’d become popular extremely quickly - people selling their home or their parents home don’t want to see it turned into a perpetual airbnb for a Saudi investor… the majority of people selling homes want that home to be used by a new family - these are extremely precious things for us.

          Additionally, we need to attack NIMBY zoning laws that prevent densification to super charge housing prices… this one is harder because most homeowners don’t want their neighborhood densified so we’d need to remove power from local zoning boards and let federal or provincial governments have more control.

          • @RandomGuy79
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            211 days ago

            This I agree with 110%. It’s difficult to attack these things in my country as home ownership is one of the few ways to build wealth and people will fight back. As it stands i don’t mind to keep renting on the short term because I see the government doubling taxes or more on homes, but my rent has also doubled. Our politicians fix so far has been to promise to spur into action home building, but they are building Luxury homes…

          • @RandomGuy79
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            011 days ago

            Lmao uh yeah there’s no keeping up with this. We need at least 1.5 Million new homes, and thats for one province. That’s some boomer logic you got.

            • @Linkerbaan
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              211 days ago

              Did you try building houses instead of not building them

    • @[email protected]
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      811 days ago

      Thats why all the companies are crying that they lack employees. Thats why Britain is still short tens of thousands of lorry drivers

      • @[email protected]
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        111 days ago

        The low wages of the EU meant it wasn’t worth it for locals to do the job.

        The answer to this problem is higher wages and more training which is better for Britain.