Poll: 65 percent oppose refugees
Opposition has been increasing, and is higher than in nearby countries
The negative attitudes toward refugees have grown stronger, with 65 percent of those polled now saying the Czech Republic should not accept refugees at all, and 28 percent saying the country should accept them only until they can return to their home country.
Just 3 percent favored allowing refugees on a permanent basis, a new CVVM poll taken in January 2016 revealed.
The figure was higher than in December, when 60 percent opposed accepting refugees. It was also the higher than Poland, which in January 2016 showed 53 percent opposing the acceptance of any refugees. Hungary in an October 2015 poll showed just 32 percent opposed to accepting refugees.
The trend in the Czech Republic has been showing that more people are opposed to refugees each month. In September 2015 it was at 50 percent, so it is up 15 percentage points since then.
Opposition to refugees from North Africa and the Middle East is even higher, now at 80 percent, up 1 percentage point from December 2015.
A minority of Czechs are opposed to Ukrainian refugees. In January it was at 49 percent, also up 1 percentage point from December.
Czechs also see refugees as a significant threat, not only to the Czech Republic but also to Europe and the world.
Some 81 percent of Czechs see refugees as a strong or moderate threat to the Czech Republic. This was overshadowed by the Islamic State, which was seen as a threat by 85 percent.
For European security, refugees are seen as a threat by 91 percent of Czechs, and for world security some 83 percent of Czechs see them as a threat.
The Islamic State is a threat to Europe according to 94 percent of Czechs, and a threat to the world by 93 percent.
The situation in Ukraine is seen as a threat to Czech security by only 47 percent.
While most Czechs did not see Ukraine as a domestic threat, that changed when asked about Europe. Some 59 percent considered it a threat to the Continent. As for world peace, only 48 percent thought Ukraine posed a potential problem.
Interest in the topic of refugees has also been growing, with 78 percent of Czechs following the topic either strongly or somewhat. Interest in the Islamic State is also up, now at 70 percent.
Interest in Ukraine has stagnated at 43 percent, the same as in November 2015.
According to the EU quota system, by the end of 2017 the Czech Republic will have to accept 2,691 refugees from countries that were affected by the migration crisis the most.
The Czech Republic initially agreed to accept 1,100 refugees from Italy and Greece and later agreed to an additional 1,591.
The Czech Republic on Monday started talks about resettling the 30 refugees who entered the EU through Greece and Italy, according to the Interior Ministry. Some 20 of the refugees are to come from Greece and 10 from Italy, and the ministry has been in touch with the two countries.
This would be the first group counted toward the EU quota.
The number of people seeking asylum in the Czech Republic from all countries is low but increasing, according to the Czech Statistical Office (ČSÚ). Applicants for international protection increased since 2014, reaching 1,525 in 2015. However, 15 years ago, the number of people seeking asylum was 12 times higher. The country where most applicants came from was Ukraine at 45 percent, followed by Syria at 9 percent, Cuba at 8 percent and Vietnam at 5 percent.
Refugees who have already been granted asylum formed only 0.6 percent of foreigners on Czech territory in 2014.
In the entire EU, the breakdown of persons seeking asylum was different. Some 33 percent were from Syria, followed by 14 percent from Afghanistan, 11 percent from Iraq and 6 percent from Albania.
The CCVM poll was taken Jan. 11 to 18 with 1,047 respondents over the age of 15.
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