Transatlantic Trends - Key Findings

Immigration Keyfindings 2009

Economic woes:
Majorities in all countries cite the economy as the most important issue facing their country, with Spanish respondents (57%) being the most likely to do so. One in five British (20%) and Italian (18%) respondents, however, indicated that immigration was the most important issue.

Personal finances and worries:
In all countries except the United States, respondents whose household financial situation got worse in the past 12 months were more likely to be worried about legal immigration.

Political leanings and perceptions of immigration:
Overall, self-described political leanings were a strong predictor of attitudes on immigration as either more of a problem or an opportunity. Compared to 2008, more respondents in all countries said that immigration was more of a problem than an opportunity in 2009. This was especially true of those declaring themselves to be on the political right.

Numbers of immigrants:
Respondents in all countries grossly overestimated the share of immigrants in their countries. Americans thought that 35% of the population in the United States are immigrants, Canadians estimated 37%, and Europeans estimated an average of 24%.

Temporary vs. permanent labor programs:
As in 2008, majorities in all countries surveyed indicated that “legal immigrants who come to the country to work” should be given the opportunity to stay permanently, rather than being admitted only temporarily.

Legalization of illegal immigrants:
Respondents were divided by country on whether or not to give illegal immigrants the opportunity to obtain legal status — Germans and the French were in favor, Italians and the British were against, and Canadians, the Dutch, and the Spanish were split. Americans showed declining support for a legalization measure (49% supported it in 2008 versus 44% in 2009).

Mediterranean countries and development aid:
A plurality in France (44%) and Italy (45%), and a majority in Spain (51%) thought that increasing development aid was the most effective way to reduce illegal immigration. This policy was favored over border controls, employer sanctions, and more legal immigration routes.

Social and political benefits for migrants:
Majorities in all countries supported providing social benefits and political participation rights to legal immigrants, though only the French (65%), Italians (53%), and Spanish (53%) clearly supported granting local voting rights to them.

Cultural and economic integration:
Respondents supported admitting only those immigrants who fulfilled both the criteria of a) having a good chance of finding a job and b) fitting in smoothly with the host society. Meeting only one of these criteria was generally not viewed as sufficient for immigration.

Government-sponsored language courses:
No country’s respondents supported government-sponsored language courses for immigrants. Instead, pluralities or majorities in all countries indicated that it is not the responsibility of the government to pay for language courses.

Government assessments:
Opinions about how their respective governments are managing immigration varied wildly among respondents—British (71%), Spanish (64%), American (63%), and Italian (53%) respondents disapproved of their governments’ management, but Germans (71%), Canadians (59%), the Dutch (53%), and the French (50%) approved of the steps their countries have taken thus far.

Immigration decision-making:
A majority in all European countries except the United Kingdom favored immigration policy decision-making at the European Union level, rather than at the national or local level. Seventy-one percent of Americans and 74% of Canadians thought immigration policy should be decided by the national government rather than by state/provincial or local authorities.

Environmental migrants:
A majority in all countries surveyed—an average of 68%—were in favor of allowing people who are displaced by climate change effects such as sea level rise or more frequent droughts to settle in their country.