The shouting and name-calling on all sides of the ferocious debate over Trump’s January 27, 2017 Executive Order halting all refugee admissions for now and temporarily banning travel into the US from Iraq, Iran, Yemen, Syria, Sudan, Libya and Somalia [“Is this a Muslim ban? Trump’s executive order explained“, The Guardian, January 28, 2017] – reflects how deep polarization on the issues.
But it’s not just the US.
A few hours ago, a UK newspaper published the findings of a poll carried out by the London-based Royal Institute of International Affairs – better known as Chatham House – and released yesterday. The study is entitled “What Do Europeans Think About Muslim Immigration?“. The data, based on polling done shortly before Trump signed that executive order, indicate that
majorities in all but two of the ten states opposed immigration from mainly Muslim countries… [“Most Europeans want immigration ban from Muslim-majority countries, poll reveals“, The Independent UK, February 8, 2017]
- A majority of Europeans want a ban on immigration from Muslim-majority countries. On a pan-European basis, only 20 per cent disagree. Undecideds are 25 per cent.
- Overall opposition to Muslim immigration is “especially intense” among older people.
- On average, 55 per cent of people across the 10 European countries surveyed want all future immigration from mainly Muslim countries into their own part of Europe to stop.
- Ranked from most opposed to least opposed, the ban is supported by 71% of Poles, 65% of Austrians, 53% of Germans, 51% of Italians, 47% of Brits.
- By contrast, a 2016 Pew survey showed unfavorable views of Muslims were held by 28% of Brits, 29% of Germans and 29% of French. Something’s changed in the past year, and not for the better.
- 50% of Spaniards were said to have unfavorable views of Muslims last year but the Chatham House poll puts Spain at the bottom of the “immigration ban” list with just over 40% support.
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