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| A migrant walks among tents at a makeshift camp next to the Moria camp for refugees and migrants on the island of Lesbos, Greece, September 18 |
A majority of Europeans support taking in refugees although many disapprove of how the European Union has handled a record influx of migrants that peaked three years ago, according to a new survey by the Pew Research Center.
At a time when anger over migration has fuelled a rise in eurosceptic, anti-immigrant parties across Europe, the survey, conducted between May and July of this year, showed that over 80 per cent of adults in Spain, the Netherlands, Germany and Sweden favour taking in refugees who are fleeing violence and war.
At over 70 per cent, support was also high in France and the United Kingdom. Even in Greece and Italy, the main entry points for migrants into Europe, the survey showed that a majority of respondents still favour accepting refugees.
The European country with the lowest acceptance was Hungary, at 32 per cent, well below Poland at 49 per cent.
The survey also showed many Europeans are critical of how the EU has handled the influx.
The crisis of 2015 exposed deep divisions within the EU, with frontline countries like Italy and Greece frustrated with eastern European countries that have refused to accept refugees, and others, including Sweden and Germany, taking on a disproportionately large share.
Some 92 per cent of Greeks, 78 per cent of Italians and 66 per cent of Germans and British expressed disapproval with the EU’s handling of the issue.
Outside of Europe, Mexico, Canada and Australia all showed high refugee acceptance rates of over 70 per cent, while the United States and Japan both stood at 66 per cent.
