Survey: Majority of Europeans concerned about illegal migration

Illegal migration remains a concern for a majority of Europeans, according a survey by the Századvég Foundation published on Wednesday.

Fully 78 percent of the survey’s respondents said they found the influx of illegal migrants into Europe concerning, with 56 percent saying Europe’s Christian culture and traditions should be preserved, Századvég said.

Albania was the only country surveyed where those concerned about illegal migration were not the majority (49 percent). Illegal migration was even a concern for most of the respondents in “traditionally pro-migration countries” and those that apply a humanitarian approach to the issue, like Sweden (78 percent), Germany (75 percent), France (73 percent) and the Netherlands (68 percent), they said.

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A majority of Europeans also say that the continent should preserve its Christian culture and traditions, Századvég said.

This view is most common in the former socialist countries (65 percent), but is also agreed on by 54 percent of respondents in the founding members of the European Union.

Of the 38 countries surveyed, those who favoured preserving European Christian culture were in the minority in the Balkan states, Turkey, Finland, the Netherlands, Ireland and Spain.

Overall 57.4 percent of respondents favoured preserving Christian culture, while 33.4 percent said Europe should go in a secular direction, Századvég said.

In addition to the EU member states, Századvég’s Project Europe research covered the United Kingdom, the Balkans and Turkey.