Young Hungarians are strongly anti-immigration, poll finds

According to a recent Europe-wide poll, younger people in some parts of Europe are more likely to hold anti-immigration views than older generations. In Hungary, the majority of respondents view immigration from non-EU countries negatively, and Generation Z is no exception.

The Guardian analysed data ahead of the upcoming European Parliamentary elections and found that in some parts of Europe, particularly in Eastern states, young people are as anti-immigration or even more so than their older counterparts. This trend, The Guardian suggests, could indicate a future strengthening of parties with anti-immigration platforms across Europe.

The polling data cited by The Guardian was published by Eurobarometer, which categorised respondents into four age groups in their cross-country survey:

Gen Z: born after 1997
Millennials: born between 1980 and 1997
Gen X: born between 1965 and 1980
Baby Boomers: born between 1946 and 1964

Respondents were asked about their attitudes towards immigration from outside the European Union.

“Across all of Europe, baby boomers are still the generation most likely to hold anti-immigration views, but in some member states, Millennials – those born between 1980 and 1997 – and Generation Z – born after 1997 – have just as negative or even more negative attitudes towards immigration from outside the EU,” The Guardian summarised the survey’s findings.

Moreover,

“Eurobarometer results suggest that attitudes towards immigration have hardened among younger respondents in the four years since the last EU elections, reflecting an overall rise in anti-immigration sentiment across all age groups within the bloc.”

Since 2019, the proportion of Europeans aged 15 to 24 with negative opinions about immigration has risen from 32 to 35 percent. Among those aged 25 to 34, the share holding anti-immigration views increased from 38 to 42 percent between 2019 and 2023.

Hungarians are overwhelmingly anti-immigration

Looking at the data for Hungary, while the highest rates of anti-immigration sentiment are still found among Baby Boomers and Generation X (80 and 77 percent, respectively), Generation Z also shows strong opposition to immigration, with 76 percent expressing unfavourable views on this issue. The most pro-immigration group are millennials, but even among them, a majority of 68 percent have negative views on the influx of migrants to Europe.

Overall, the data shows that the majority of each generation in Hungary holds negative views on immigrants from outside the EU.

anti-immigration billboard referendum — Billboards of the government in Szeged, Hungary before the 2016 referendum, reading “Did you know? More than 300 people were killed in terrorist attacks in Europe since the start of the migrant crisis” (top) and “Did you know? The Paris terrorist attacks were carried out by immigrants” (bottom). Photo: Wikimedia Commons

Similarly to Hungary, in Poland, Baby Boomers hold the strongest anti-immigration views, but there has also been a rise in the number of Generation Z individuals who harbour adverse feelings when it comes to migration.

Interestingly, overall, the percentage of those with negative views on immigration is much lower in Poland compared to Hungary: 55 percent of Baby Boomers, 39 percent of Generation X, 42 percent of Millennials, and 52 percent of Generation Z hold anti-immigration views.

anti-immigration fidesz campaign — Billboard put up before the 2019 EP elections, reading:
“Let’s support Viktor Orbán’s program, and stop immigration!”
Photo: Wikimedia Commons

A country that shows similarly high figures of disavowal as Hungary is Slovenia, where 70% of Baby Boomers, 73% of Gen X, 74% of Millennials and 59% of Gen Z think negatively about immigration from third countries.

In Finland, Cyprus and Malta, Generation Z is notably more unsympathetic towards immigration than millennials, mirroring the trends seen in Hungary and Poland.

This pattern of rising anti-immigration sentiment among the young,” The Guardian concludes, “is a marked contrast to other EU member states, which have seen consistent declines in negative attitudes across generations. In Germany, Italy, and Spain, the share of respondents saying they feel negatively about immigration consistently falls between generations.”

“The data comes as EU member states prepare for June’s European parliament elections, in which resurgent far-right parties are expected to make gains.”

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Source: The Guardian