Survey shows Europeans prone to think refugee influx raises terror risk

PanARMENIAN.Net - A majority of Europeans fear the recent refugee influx will heighten the risk of terrorist attacks and cost their countries jobs and social benefits, said a survey released Monday, July 11 by the Pew Research Center, AFP reports.

The U.S. institute's survey across European countries shows growing concern about the historic influx of more than one million asylum seekers last year and about the integration of minority groups, Muslims in particular.

In eight of the 10 countries surveyed, representing 80 percent of the European population, at least half of the public believe that "incoming refugees increase the likelihood of terrorism in their country", the survey said.

The view was held most strongly, by 76 percent of respondents, in Hungary and by 71 percent in Poland -- both countries which have received proportionately few migrants as their governments have adopted a tough stance toward refugees.

In Germany -- the largest EU economy, which last year took in the biggest number of migrants and refugees -- 61 percent shared this concern, while 60 percent of Italians and 52 percent of British voiced the same fears, AFP says.

Paradoxically, in France, a country hard hit by jihadist attacks in 2015, only 46 percent thought the danger of an attack had increased.

In general, the Pew Center found that "the refugee crisis and the threat of terrorism are very much related to one another in the minds of many Europeans".

"The recent surge of refugees into Europe has featured prominently in the anti-immigrant rhetoric of right-wing parties across the continent and in the heated debate over the UK's decision to exit the European Union," it pointed out.

The study found that perceptions of refugees are influenced in part by negative attitudes toward Muslims already living in Europe, AFP says.

"In Hungary, Italy, Poland and Greece, more than six-in-ten say they have an unfavorable opinion of the Muslims in their country -– an opinion shared by at least one-in-four in each nation polled," it said.