Xenophobia record high in Hungary

Budapest (MTI) – A record number of Hungarians expressed xenophobia or adverse attitudes towards foreigners according to the latest results of pollster Tarki’s annual survey taken since 1992.

Fully 46 percent of respondents agreed with the statement that no asylum-seeker should be allowed to enter Hungary at all, the survey said.

About 9 percent of respondents are considered to have views which are friendly to foreigners and 45 percent would hear arguments on whether or not asylum should be granted to an applicant.

Tarki’s xenophobia survey showed a rapid rise in xenophobic attitudes in its first three years from 1992, then showed volatility and stayed stable between 2002-2011. There was an increase in 2012 and  xenophobia stayed high in the following two years. It rose from the previous record of 43 percent in 2001 to 46 percent this April.

The highest rejection rate was recorded against Arabs, at 94 percent, followed closely by the Roma minority, the Chinese, Africans and Romanians. The lowest rate of rejection against a national group was that measured against Hungarians from other countries, only 7 percent of the sample rejected them.

The rate of xenophobia was slightly higher than the average among Jobbik and Socialist voters and non-voters, as well as among the poor, those living in the south-western counties, the unemployed and the 40-50 age group, Tarki said.

Xenophobia was lowest among the highest-educated groups, 35 or 20 percent, depending on a university or college degree, respectively.

The survey was taken in April 2015.

Source: http://mtva.hu/hu/hungary-matters