A majority in eight of the countries surveyed also agreed with the statement.

Hungarians, at 82%, are also most inclined to believe that refugees are a burden on the country because they will deprive Hungarians of their jobs and act as parasites on social allowances, and 43% believe that refugees are more to blame for crime than others.

This latter figure was exceeded by the 47% response in Italy and 46% in Sweden.

More Hungarians, 72%, had an unfavourable view of Muslims than other Europeans, followed by 69% of Italians, 66% of Poles and 65% of Greeks.

Hungary was third in terms of mistrust of Roma, at 64%, behind Italy and Greece, and second in terms of negative opinions of Jews, at 32%, behind only Greece.

The full list of countries surveyed is France, Germany, Great Britain, Greece, Hungary, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Spain and Sweden.

In a separate survey by Hungary’s Migration Research Institute, two-thirds of Hungarians said they would be ready to admit genuine refugees but reject those who arrive in the hope of making a better living, Magyar Idõk reports.

Source: Hungary Around the Clock

This news item is one of many published daily by HATC, a premier subscription news service which distributes English-language info about Hungary via email or fax. For a free trial of HATC visit www.hatc.hu and click on 'Free Trial Subscription’.

MTI photo