Gallup Poll Shows Migrant Acceptance on the Decline Globally

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The proposal has been brought forward because of a fire on the Greek island of Lesbos a fortnight ago which destroyed a migrant camp holding more than 12,000 people — four times the number it was supposed to.

Among European countries, only Sweden and Ireland made the Gallup top 10 of most-accepting countries.

Ray said some people would be surprised by the positive attitudes in the United States, where President Donald Trump has made curbing immigration a cornerstone of his policy.

"Despite the fact that immigration is such a hot topic in the US, Americans are mostly very accepting of migrants," she said.

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The United States ranked sixth in the index just behind Sierra Leone. Ray said Trump supporters were far more accepting of migrants than the global average, scoring 7.10.

Worldwide, the index showed acceptance of migrants was greater among younger generations, people with higher levels of education and those living in urban rather than rural areas.

(Writer: Emma Batha, Thomson Reuters Foundation | Editor: Ellen Wulfhorst)

Source: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-global-migration-poll-idUSKCN26E0WW