Residents of five major European nations overwhelmingly believe their countries should be imposing stricter border security measures to reduce the flow of illegal immigration.
Significant majorities of French, German, Dutch, Italian, and Portuguese respondents favored tougher border-security measures, according to new polling by the nonprofit EU-US Forum and the Tyson Group, a research firm.
Over three quarters, 76 percent, of French, German, and Dutch respondents agreed with the statement “countries should impose harder border controls to reduce the flood of illegal migrants coming into Europe.”
A whopping 77 percent of Portuguese and 63 percent of Italian respondents agreed with the statement about restricting illegal immigration.
Illegal immigration is a top issue for countries across Europe as greater numbers pour into the continent from African and Middle Eastern nations. Conservatives parties in the nations surveyed have sought to win popular support by taking hardline stances against illegal immigration, as shown by the election of Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni and political success of Dutch politician Geert Wilders’s Freedom Party.
The EU-US Forum survey also found strong concerns over government censorship and stringent energy regulations, as the European Union pushes stronger content moderation guidelines and greater environmental restrictions.
A majority of respondents in France, Italy, Portugal, and the Netherlands agreed with the statement “I am more worried today than I was a decade ago about government censorship of my ideas.”
Similarly, majorities of German, French, Dutch, and Portuguese respondents believe energy regulations pose a threat to economic and national security, the poll observed.
Respondents from all of the countries are strongly in favor of promoting domestic agriculture and farming within their borders.
“We must reestablish domestic food production and encourage farming within our borders” is a statement 89 percent of Portuguese, 85 percent of French, 85 percent of German, 74 percent of Italians, and 72 percent of Dutch residents agreed with.
“The backlash in Europe, however, is not just limited to the economy. Respondents are also worried about the expansion of government censorship and the inability of their leaders to secure their borders. Our data suggests a vast conservative shift is well under way in some of the largest countries in the European Union,” said Tyson Group vice president Alex Alvarado.
The poll was conducted online with 500 respondents from each country. Multiple former Trump administration officials are involved with the EU-US forum.
Next month, Europeans will be voting in the EU’s parliamentary elections, where conservative and populist parties are expected to gain seats to the detriment of centrist and progressive parties.