Majority Of Germans Say Migrants Bring More Problems Than Benefits, Want Limit On Refugees

A new poll shows that a slight majority of Germans are turning against mass immigration, with 52 per cent saying that they believe Germany should “take in fewer refugees,” an increase of 12 points since January 2020. The results come just a week before a long-awaited migration summit that will involve federal and state governments meeting in Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s office to discuss the ongoing crisis.

The poll, conducted for Infratest Dimap on behalf of ARD Tagesthemen and Die Welt, also asked respondents whether they see migrants as bringing more advantages or disadvantages. For 54 per cent, they said the disadvantages of immigration outweigh the advantages, while only a third said that the advantages outweigh the disadvantages.

However, when it comes to skilled immigration, Germans are more supportive. For this type of immigration, 41 per cent said they would like to recruit more of these workers, while 28 per cent said the number should be kept at the current level. Only 23 per cent wanted to recruit fewer of these workers. Germans have clearly soured on refugees, with just 8 per cent wanting to take more in, while 33 per cent said the numbers should stay at their current levels. Another 52 per cent want “fewer refugees.”

Alternative for Germany (AfD) voters are the least likely to support immigration, with 92 per cent favouring restrictive policies. Meanwhile, 61 per cent of FDP and 57 per cent of CDU/CSU voters also want restrictions. Even one left-wing party takes a majority negative view on immigration, with supporters of Die Linke (Left Party) seeing more disadvantages than advantages (51 per cent to 42 per cent).

Polling on the topic of mass immigration has delivered similar results as of late, with a slight majority of Germans saying they do not want more immigration. At the same time, the AfD party, most known for its stance against immigration, has hit a new high of 16.5 per cent in national polls.

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