Europe UK (Commonwealth Union) – The views held by many Brits in regard to immigrants has been positive according to a new study. The study reflected the changing attitudes in recent years.
Results of the study indicated that among 17 countries, the UK has the minimal likelihood to indicate that the government must impose strict restrictions on the number of foreigners who could enter the UK or prohibit individuals from entering altogether. 31 percent of the UK public held this view, when contrasted with 35 percent of individuals in Germany and 39 percent in Canada, which was the next country with the most acceptability.
At the same time, 68 percent of the UK public held the view that anyone should be permitted to enter if they desired so or let them enter if there was an availability of jobs, which was among the most of any nation.
The study conducted by the Policy Institute at King’s College London in a prominent new research programme as a component of the World Values Survey, one of the biggest and most widely applied academic social surveys across the globe which was taking place since 1981.
The recent UK data was gathered in 2022, where the latest data for other countries gathered at various points throughout the latest wave of the WVS, which went from 2017 to 2022.
The results highlighted just how far British attitudes on immigration has changed in a relatively small space of time:
Back In 2009, 65 percent of Brits held the view that with job scarcity, employers should give priority to individuals in Britain over immigrants, however this was more than halved, to 29 percent in 2022.
Professor Bobby Duffy, director of the Policy Institute at King’s College London says “It was unthinkable a decade ago that the UK would top any international league table for positive views of immigration. But that’s where we are now, with the UK the least likely from a wide range of countries to say we should place strict limits on immigration or prohibit it entirely.”
