UK / The number of immigrants hugely overestimated as immigration seen as an issue

A poll of Western countries has found that immigration is seen as a bigger problem in the UK than anywhere else.

It also found that Britons hugely overestimate the number of immigrants in the country – guessing on average that 31 per cent of the population were immigrants when the actual figure is 12 per cent. Britain also has the most people who believe there are “too many” immigrants in their country, standing at 55 per cent – but this is down from 57 per cent in 2011.

The Transatlantic Trends survey was conducted in June, and questioned 1,000 people in each country. According to, it found that 64 per cent of Britons said immigration was more of a “problem” than an opportunity for the country. This was down from 68 per cent in 2011, and compares with half of those surveyed in France, 46 per cent in Italy, 44 per cent in Spain, and 32 per cent in Germany.

But the findings also showed that 63 per cent of UK respondents agree that “immigrants enrich our culture” and that 55 per cent of them thought the children of immigrants integrated well – and 48 per cent for first-generation immigrants.

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via Brits see immigration as bigger issue than European neighbours, study finds – Home News – UK – The Independent.