Prague, May 23 (CTK) – A half of the Czech population believe that the number of foreigners living in the Czech Republic is adequate, while 39 percent consider it excessive and only 2 percent consider it too low, according to a poll the CVVM agency released yesterday.
Czechs consider studies and young people’s work experience the most acceptable reasons for foreigners’ stay in the country, the poll showed.
The public opinion about the number of foreign inhabitants remained quite stable in 2010 – 2015, with about a half of the respondents annually viewing it as excessive.
Last year, the share of these respondents sharply shrank and the latest poll, conducted in March, confirmed the trend.
“Like in 2016, the latest poll showed the highest number of the respondents who have considered the number of foreigners appropriate since 2009 when people were asked this question for the first time,” the CVVM said.
The number of foreigners is considered appropriate mainly by people with good living standards, students and university graduates.
“From the point of view of political preferences, this opinion was mainly shared by potential supporters of the ANO movement,” the CVVM said.
The respondents were also asked whether anyone applying for Czech residence should be granted it.
About one quarter of them answered in the affirmative, while 67 percent said they were against this. The number of positive answers, nevertheless, rose by 9 percent in the past year, and the number of the negative ones declined by 11 percent, the CVVM said.
For most Czechs (76 percent), studies and work experience are the most acceptable reasons for admitting foreigners to the Czech Republic, followed by family reunion (65 percent).
“About 60 percent of Czechs also agree with the acceptance of immigrants over war, famine or natural disasters in their homeland,” the CVVM said.
More than a half of respondents said they were for the acceptance of foreigners who are persecuted for religious, racial and political reasons.
“The reason the respondents found the least acceptable is that foreigners simply like our country and want to live here,” the CVVM said.
It was called acceptable by 32 percent of those polled, while 59 percent were against it.
The CVVM conducted the poll on 1045 respondents on March 6-19.
rtj/dr/ms
