87 percent of those asked do not support Hungary’s acceptance of illegal immigrants, most of them rejecting that option due to economic reasons and terrorist threat – according to Nézőpont Intézet’s representative survey by asking 1000 people by telephone during September 6-12, 2015, which was requested by Heti Válasz. Based on this poll, an unequivocal majority of the population (55 percent) support the security border enclosure constructed at the Hungarian-Serbian border, while only a meager 28 percent support the refugee quotas advocated by the European Union. Only 5 percent of the Hungarian population blame the Hungarian government for the refugee crisis.
Hungarians continue to be receptive to those immigrants who are certifiably fleeing the war zone, 65 percent of the total population would allow them to settle in Hungary. However, 87 percent of those asked would reject illegal immigrants and only 7 percent are lax on this issue. Illegal migration is opposed even within left-wing circles in Hungary by a margin twice compared to how many of them would be more permissive regarding this issue. 55 percent of those surveyed supported the security border enclosure established at the Serbian-Hungarian border (data collection was completed prior to the events of September 15). The rejection of refugee quotas advocated by the European Union is unequivocal: only 28 percent of respondents supported such initiative. By now, the quota system envisaged by Brussels also splits the left-wing camp, which initially seemed to have more support for the initiative.
Hungarians first and foremost fear the acceptance of illegal immigrants for economic reasons and a possible terror threat (32 and 29 percent, respectively). 16 percent reject them for cultural and religious reasons, while 14 percent considered health risks as the prime reason for not accepting them.
18 percent of respondents think that illegal border violators who transpass into Hungary are authentic refugees fleeing to save their lives, while 33 percent would classify them as economic migrants, although there could be some among them who also flee from war-torn areas. More than half (51 percent) of the population are inclined to think that a large majority of the migrants are economic immigrants. Another 26 percent think that these migrants may be fleeing war and destitution, but even within this group there may be some who stipulate that some of these refugees may also have economic reasons for fleeing. Only 11 percent, mostly leftist sympathizers stipulate that migrants are primarily feeling from war.
Hungarians primarily blame the United States for the immigration crisis in Hungary (24 percent). 19 percent of respondents think that the European Union and leading western European countries are at fault, while 17 percent think that the Middle Eastern war situation and the Islamic State are responsible for all this. Only 5 percent of Hungarians blame the Hungarian government for the crisis.
Methodology
The public opinion poll was conducted by telephone between September 6-12, 2015 with a sample of 1000 respondents. This is a representative sample of the population aged 18 years and older, classified by gender, age, region, residential settlement type and schooling completed. In case of a 1000 people sample such as this, the maximum margin of error is 3,2 percent.
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