Filenews 31 January 2024
Strong xenophobic attitudes are recorded in Cyprus, according to the results of the European Social Survey (CSR) for 2022, says the University Field Research Centre (UCFS) of the University of Cyprus, noting at the same time that the results highlight the role of the state in establishing a National Plan for the Integration of migrants. According to the results, Cyprus is among the 10 most xenophobic countries that took part in CSR (out of 31 in total).
UCFS explains that today, xenophobia may not have faded, "but we have the right tools to recognize it and therefore manage it and as such a reliable tool we can see the European Social Survey".
Research is the EU's most serious research infrastructure for data collection on social issues. It takes place every two years in more than 30 European countries and allows not only the establishment of the current situation at a specific time, but also longitudinal comparisons to identify changes over time, in the same country and comparisons of each country with all the others."
Cyprus Results
Of the most recent data collection in Cyprus, when respondents were asked whether people of the same ethnic origin, such as the majority of the island's inhabitants, should be allowed to migrate to Cyprus, 58% agreed to a greater or lesser extent.
However, according to the UCFS, this majority agreement turned into a refusal when the question referred to people either of different origins or coming from poorer non-European countries. 65% disagree to a greater or lesser extent with the immigration of people of different ethnicities, rising to 66% when it comes to people from poorer countries outside Europe.
The above "contrast" between attitudes towards the immigration of people of the same and different ethnic origin indicates the existence of strong xenophobic attitudes in Cyprus: on the one hand there is a mild agreement towards the immigration of people of the same ethnicity as that of the majority of the island's inhabitants. On the other hand, however, for people who would be characterized as "foreign" (different nationality), the agreement turns into a refusal," the BCAPE said.
With this stance, Cyprus is among the 10 most xenophobic countries that took part in CSR (out of 31 in total), it is noted and added that the majority of Greek Cypriot residents seem to differ significantly from the general attitude in Europe, as in Cyprus there are more negative attitudes than in Europe on average.
Moreover, attitudes towards migration seem to leave, to some extent, a geographical footprint with Northern and Western countries on average rating migration more positively.
44% of respondents said they believed to a greater or lesser extent that immigration was bad for the economy. Similarly, 49% believe that it is also bad for the cultural life of Cyprus.
In fact, the majority of respondents (48%) state that with the arrival of people from other countries, Cyprus becomes a worse place to live, according to UCFAC.
"The above answers reveal the prevalence of a sense of threat and, in particular, a realistic and symbolic threat," it said.
The UCFS also states that realistic threats (the word 'realistic' does not indicate the existence of real threats and refers only to the subjective perception of the individual) have to do with fear of physical risks, for example risks to the physical integrity of the individual, to his health or, in this case, to his economic well-being.
Similarly, symbolic threats refer to the feeling of danger that can arise through the conflict of an individual's or group's worldview with another "foreign" perception of things. Such threats concern religion, values, customs and tradition.
CSR has seen a deterioration in attitudes towards migration between 2018-2020 on specific questions, which seems to be mainly due to the existence of strong symbolic threats.
"There may be a concentrated deterioration in the subcategory of asylum seekers from third countries, who have been the main target of xenophobic media and official political xenophobic securitization on the part of government officials," it said.
However, Cyprus has seen a decrease in opposition to the general idea of immigration over time.
Specifically, in CSR Round 10, attitudes towards migration show signs of gradual improvement after 2012, when the most negative attitudes were recorded, perhaps due to the high realistic threats prevailing in a period of economic crisis and memorandum.
The non-dramatic deterioration of attitudes towards migration in a period of data collection with strong migration flows to Cyprus and xenophobic discourse "and on the official side of the government in this period", seems generally to be mitigated by generational differences where younger generations seem to have significantly improved attitudes towards immigration compared to the older generation. Refers.
UCFCC believes that these findings do not cause complacency, but constitute a creative basis for interventions aimed at raising public awareness and improving relations between native and migrant populations.
National Plan for the integration of migrants
The results of CSR, according to UCFS, highlight the role of the state in establishing a National Plan for the Integration of migrants that needs to address with a holistic look at the issue of migration: from the integration of migrants and refugees into society (as opposed to their marginalization in accommodation centers), the development of an inclusive education program, The integration of immigrants into the Cypriot labour market and contact with the native population.
Such a state plan presupposes "the necessary shift from representations of the Migrant as a threat, to a more humanistic representation that sees the migrant population as an opportunity for the development of Cyprus, which is what is happening as we have seen from the results of this research in many other European countries."
