Prague, May 9 (CTK) – The number of Czechs agreeing with granting asylum to refugees from the countries hit by a war has considerably fallen, from 85 percent in 2001 to the current 65 percent, according to a poll conducted by the STEM polling institute in March and released yesterday.
Europe is now facing a large refugee influx. Most Czechs have said in other polls, too, they are against their acceptance.
A war conflict is still the strongest argument to grant asylum, most Czechs agree.
Another 52 percent are still ready to grant asylum over political persecution.
When it comes to religious or ethnic persecution, only two-fifths of Czechs are ready to grant asylum.
Only one-quarter of Czechs agree with granting asylum to the people fleeing their country over a desperate economic situation.
In the similar polls conducted by STEM in 2001 and 2005, over one-half of Czechs were prepared to grant asylum over any of the cited reasons.
In the case of refugees from war areas, agreement was expressed by over 80 percent of Czechs, in the case of political, religious, ethnic and racial reasons, it was about 70 percent and in the case of emigration for economic reasons, it was over 50 percent.
The followers of right-wing parties tend to be readier to grant asylum for all reasons except the economic one than the rest.
People with higher education are prepared to grant asylum to the refugees fleeing religious, ethnic and racial oppression more often than the rest.
People over 60 are the least ready to grant asylum over religious persecution.
The poll was conducted on a sample of 1,050 Czechs over 18 on March 16-23.
pv/dr/ms
