Angus Reid Global Monitor : Polls & Research

Too Many Immigrants Arrive Say Spaniards

April 17, 2003

(CPOD) Apr. 17, 2003 - More Spaniards think their country is welcoming too many immigrants, according to a poll by Gallup Spain. 61.7 per cent of respondents say the country gets more expatriates than it should, a 10 per cent increase since February 2002.

Spain's unemployment rate of 9.3 per cent is higher than the average of all European Union (EU) countries, meaning almost 2 million Spaniards are out of a job. Low birth rates and an aging population motivated the government to loosen its immigration laws. The results have been mixed, as rafts filled with illegal migrants from African countries have become a common sight near the coasts of Andalusia.

Polling Data

What do you think about the amount of immigrants that settle in Spain each year?

Mar. 2003

Feb. 2002

Spain gets more immigrants than it should

61.7%

51.6%

Spain gets the right amount of immigrants

21.7%

24.7%

Spain should get more immigrants than it does

10.7%

7.6%


Source: Gallup Spain
Methodology: Interviews to 2,016 Spanish adults, conducted from Mar. 3 to Mar. 20, 2003. Margin of error is 2.2 per cent.

Archive Search

Over 19,600 Polls
Search the Angus Reid Global Monitor Polls & Research archive.


Advanced Search