Switzerland – “How the World Views Migration,” a report the IOM will publish in spring, provides interesting information on the behavior of the general public vis-à-vis migration across the world.
Some salient features of the first conclusions of the report are published this week at the World Economic Forum in Davos.
The findings, based on interviews conducted by Gallup with 183,772 adults across more than 140 countries between 2012 and 2014, show that the global population is generally favorable to the rising number of immigrants each year, or the maintenance of migration at its current level.
“This study shows for the first time preliminary information on what people around the world think of migration,” conclude the authors. “Unlike the negative perceptions of migration often portrayed in the media in some parts of the world, our findings suggest that most people in the world do not wish to lower immigration in their country. “
Europe is an exception, according to Frank Laczko, director of research at the IOM, which noted that the Gallup poll shows marked divergence in behavior between North Europe and the Mediterranean area of the continent.
According to the study, the majority of adults in almost all the northern European countries (Sweden, Denmark, Finland) would like to see higher immigration rates or see them stay at their current level. The UK is the only exception, with a majority of the population (69%), which supports a reduction in immigration.
However, the inhabitants of a large part of the Mediterranean region, which is an entry point to Europe for many migrants, would like to see a decrease in immigration. 84% of adults in Greece are most favorable to a reduction in immigration. This sentiment is shared by 56% of Spaniards, 67% of Italians and 76% of Maltese. In France, nearly half the population (45%) would like a decrease in immigration, and the same proportion would prefer to maintain its current level or increase.
“People in Europe are more negative toward immigration since (52.1%) would like to see immigration decrease. In comparison, the rate was 39.3% in North America, “said Frank Laczko.
Beyond Europe, people in Latin America and the Caribbean generally want immigration levels to remain the same or increase, with the exception of Costa Rica and Ecuador.
In the Middle East, the people of the countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), with the highest percentage of temporary migrant workers have a very positive perception of immigration. A relatively small percentage wants a decrease in immigration and a high percentage want to see immigration increase or stay the same. Again, there are differences between countries: adults in Kuwait and Bahrain are much more negative vis-à-vis immigration.
The summary of the IOM and Gallup focuses on the initial findings of the study.
To download an overview of the findings, please visit: http://www.iom.int/files/live/sites/iom/files/pbn/docs/PublicOpinionMap_Davos.pdf
