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FIFTY-THREE PER CENT of Finns would be ready to welcome foreign workers to their municipality of residence or nearby areas from other parts of the EU, reveals a survey commissioned by the Foundation for Municipal Development (Kaks).
Almost three in ten (29%) of respondents said they would be ready to continue welcoming workers from other member states at the current rate.
About 10 per cent of would like to see fewer workers from other parts of the 27-country bloc in their home municipality and nearby regions.
Over two-fifths (43%) of respondents said they would accept more international students than currently, while almost two-fifths (39%) said they would accept the same number of international students as currently. Less than 10 per cent indicated their preference for slashing the number of international students living in their home region.
Almost two-fifths (39%) stated that they would like to see more workers from outside the 27-country bloc in their municipality of residence or nearby areas. Fewer than one-third (30%) of respondents indicated they are content with the current situation, whereas 25 per cent said they would reduce the number of non-EU workers from the current level.
Finns have the most negative attitudes toward refugees and asylum seekers, according to Kaks. Nearly two-fifths (39%) of respondents would prefer to reduce the number of refugees and asylum settling in their home region. More than a fifth (22%) would contrastively prefer to see more refugees and asylum seekers in their home region.
The survey shows that differences in views toward immigration correlate with the place of residence and educational background of respondents.
Residents of the capital region and other urban regions, and highly educated people felt more positively about immigration than the national average. Residents of rural municipalities and people with lower educational level felt more negatively about immigration than the national average.
Overall, public attitudes toward immigration have not changed significantly form 2021.
Kantar Public interviewed 1,000 people for the survey in June.
Aleksi Teivainen – HT
