Attitudes towards Immigrants

For each of the following propositions (statements), please tell me whether you ...

EB 62.1 and 64.2: totally agree, trend to agree, tend to disagree or totally disagree:

• We need immigrants to work in certain sectorsof our economy.
• The arrival of immigrants in Europe can efficiently solve (EB 71.3 ff.: be effective in solving) the problem of Europe’s ageing population

EB 66.3 ff.: tend to agree or tend to disagree:

• People from other ethnic groups enrich the cultural life of (OUR COUNTRY) 
• The presence of people from other ethnic groups is a cause of insecurity
• The presence of people from other ethnic groups increases unemployment in (OUR COUNTRY)

Additional items EB 71.3

• Immigrants can play an important role in developing greater understanding and tolerance with the rest of the world
• (Legal) immigrants contribute more in taxes than they benefit from health and welfare services

(1) Please note that the variable names refer to the final ICPSR/ZA codebook editions, if available. 

(2) Slightly different question wording: "Some people from different countries of the South of the Mediterranean wish to work here in the European Community. Others coming from Eastern Europe wish to work in the West. Yet others, suffering from human rights violations in their country are seeking political asylum. For each of these types of immigration, what do you think should be done here in the European Community?"

(3) Generally speaking how do you feel about the number of people of another nationality, living in (OUR COUNTRY): are there ... (part of a question battery asking also for people of another race, culture, religion, and social class)

(4) Generally speaking about foreigners living in (OUR COUNTRY): are there ...

(5) Referring to a different preceding question: "Thinking about people living in (YOUR COUNTRY), who are not citizen of any European Community country, who should decide on their social and political rights?"

(6) Additional items: d) people with another culture, e) people belonging to another social class

(7) Additional items: b) ... is particular hostile to immigrants, c) ... is particular anti-Semitic?

(8) Asking for people of another nationality and in addition for people of another race, religion, culture, and people belonging to another social class, as well as for the additional items: "their customs are difficult to understand" and "their presence in the neighborhood modifies the prices of property".

(9) Different question: (Again, ...)"Speaking generally about people from minority groups in terms of race, religion and culture, do you think there are not many, a lot but not too many, or too many of them living in (our country)?"

(10) Eurobarometer 47.1 (Q.49) and 53 (Q.51) ask for opinions about (of different nationality, race, religion or culture) in general, including among others items a), b), c), and d) but with different wording for the respective statements.   

(11) Only item c repeated (plus other negative and positive items). See also QA4 in the framework of Eurobarometer 65.4 (ZA4508) and the new trend "opinions on immigrants and other ethnic groups" starting with Eurobarometer 62.1.

(12) Only one comparable item: "People of different ethnic origin than the rest of the population living in (OUR COUNTRY) enrich the (NATIONALITY) culture".