London, Feb 28 (IANS) Asians are more likely to oppose immigration than white Britons, according to a study.
It shows opposition to new arrivals in Britain now transcends race. Thirty-nine percent of Asians, 34 percent of whites and 21 percent of blacks believed immigration should be stopped either permanently or at least until the recovery of the economy, the Daily Mail reported Monday.
The study was commissioned by the Searchlight Educational Trust. Titled ‘Fear and Hope: The New Politics Of Identity’, the report reveals that a large proportion of voters, across all races and communities, now have concerns about immigration, the newspaper said.
Immigration was held a bad thing for Britain by 63 percent of whites, 43 percent of Asians and 17 percent of black Britons.
The report also reveals that the failure of mainstream parties to speak out about immigration has opened the door for the possible emergence of a far-right party.
Almost half of those questioned, 48 percent, were open to supporting a new far-right party as long as it eschewed ‘fascist imagery’ and did not condone violence.
And 52 percent agreed that ‘Muslims create problems in the UK’. The poll, executed by Populus, was one of the largest studies carried out on the subject, based on 91 questions to more than 5,000 individuals.
It found that peoples’ attitudes to immigration were largely shaped by their level of economic optimism. Those who fear for their jobs and longterm economic wellbeing are more likely to be opposed to further immigration.
The report’s author Nick Lowles said young people are more open to living in an ethnically diverse society.
But in a clear warning to the political class, he said: ‘This report gives those of us who are campaigning against extremism nowhere to hide.’
The level of net migration into Britain rose by 36 percent last year, Office for National Statistics figures show.
An estimated 572,000 people entered the UK on a long-term basis in 2010 while 346,000 emigrated.
