The Czech public is divided on whether settling two or three refugee families from abroad would lead to serious problems in the town or village in which they would take up permanent residence: approximately half the population (49 %) believes that this would cause serious problems; the other half (51 %), by contrast, does not anticipate any such problems. These opinions are closely linked to the size of respondents’ place of residence; the higher the population, the lower the proportion of people who would expect serious problems to arise as a result of the arrival of refugee families. A three-fifths majority of Czech citizens (61 %) believe that if hypothetically refugee families were to be settled permanently in their community, it would be better if family members tried as much as possible to get to know the locals and fit into the community. This survey was conducted by the STEM non-profit institute (www.stem.cz) on a representative sample of the Czech population aged 18 and over from 4 to 13 May 2016. Respondents were selected using a quota sampling method, with some 1,292 people taking part in the survey.In several of its surveys, STEM has already looked at the topic of refugees and Czech attitudes towards the migrant crisis in Europe. In its May survey, STEM focuses on the issue of refugees from a different angle. We have sought to take a topic presented by the media and transfer it to a context closer to everyday life, i.e. the local community and neighbourhood.The responses to the first question in the survey show that public opinion is divided, with roughly half the population (49 %) indicating that they would have serious problems with a situation whereby two or three refugee families settled permanently in their town/village and the other half (51 %), by contrast, indicating they would not regard this to be a serious problem.
Source: STEM, Trends 2016/5, 1292 respondents
The less-educated, blue-collar workers, white-collar workers and people living in worse-off households made up a greater proportion of those who would have a serious problem with refugees living in their neighbourhood. As expected, this opinion is also more prevalent among people from smaller towns and villages where there are real “neighbourhoods” and the potential impact on life in the community would be greater compared with in towns or cities.
*Secondary School Leaving Certificate, equiv.A Levels in the UK, High School Diploma in the USSource: STEM, Trends 2016/5, 1292 respondents
Source: STEM, Trends 2016/5, 1292 respondents
Of the possible approaches that refugee families could take to life in Czech towns or villages, a three-fifths majority of Czech citizens (61 %) said it would suit them better if the new residents tried to become assimilated as much as possible.
Source: STEM, Trends 2016/5, 1292 respondents
In this case, the level of education of respondents again had a substantial impact on opinion. A significantly larger proportion of citizens with a lower level of education would welcome a situation whereby refugees lived more within their family units and kept to themselves. On this issue, the size of respondents’ place of residence had no clear-cut impact on attitudes, with the largest proportion of those in favour of refugees becoming assimilated in local communities being among residents of towns with a population of over 90,000 inhabitants (71 %). Nonetheless, only a slightly lower proportion of residents of towns with a population of 20,000 – 90,000 (63 %) were of the same opinion, as were inhabitants of the country’s smallest villages (of up to one thousand inhabitants) at 60 %.
*Secondary School Leaving Certificate, equiv.A Levels in the UK, High School Diploma in the USSource: STEM, Trends 2016/5, 1292 respondents
Source: STEM, Trends 2016/5, 1292 respondents
The vast majority of those who are not afraid that serious problems would arise if refugees settled in their communities would favour the refugees getting to know the locals and becoming assimilated in the community. There is no clear-cut opinion among the group who anticipate problems arising, although a slight majority are of the view that refugees should keep to themselves and live within their family units.
Source: STEM, Trends 2016/5, 1292 respondents
