Poll Archive
EU Constitution Referendum
Fieldwork: January 26th 2005 - January 28th 2005
published by The News of the World
Thinking ahead to the general election, which is expected to be held in a few months' time, how important will the issues of immigration and asylum be in deciding who you'll vote for?
| Very important | 28% |
|---|---|
| Quite important | 37% |
| TOTAL 'IMPORTANT' | 65% |
| Not very important | 23% |
| Not at all important | 9% |
| TOTAL 'NOT IMPORTANT' | 32% |
Which of the following statements is closest to your own view on what Britain's policy should be towards immigration in general? (Change in opinion since Populus last asked these questions, In April 2004, for The Times in brackets)
| 'Britain should welcome all new immigrants as long as they pass strict tests to make sure they are able to support themselves' | 42% | (+6%) |
|---|---|---|
| 'Britain benefits from new immigrants living here and should have a completely open door policy, welcoming anyone who wishes to come here' | 10% | (+4%) |
| 'Britain can't in practice cope with any more people coming to live here and should have an absolute closed door-policy on immigration' | 11% | (-7%) |
| 'Britain should only let in a specific small number of new immigrants each year who have particular skills that our economy need and that are in short supply here' | 34% | (-3% ) |
Do you agree or disagree with the following statements about asylum seekers who come to Britain? (Change in opinion since Populus last asked these questions, in February 2003, for The Times, are in brackets where applicable)
| 'It is right that Britain should continue to let in all people claiming asylum if their claim is genuine' | Agree | 69% (-9%) | Disagree | 28% (+8%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| It is right in principle for Britain to accept genuine asylum seekers, but we have now accepted our fair share and cannot take anymore' | Agree | 47% (-18%) | Disagree | 45% (+14%) |
| 'The number of asylum seekers in Britain now is a major reason why public services like health and education are over-burdened' | Agree | 47% (-10%) | Disagree | 46% (+7%) |
| 'Asylum seekers in Britain are partly responsible for rising levels of crime' | Agree | 32% | Disagree | 60% |
| 'Asylum seekers seem to get priority when it comes to things like housing, NHS treatment and schools - and they shouldn't' | Agree | 49% (-10%) | Disagree | 41% (+7%) |
| 'Britain should only accept asylum seekers if they have been vetted by the UN High Commissioner of Refugees to make sure they are genuine' | Agree | 77% | Disagree | 17% |
Which party do you think is most likely to do a good job with dealing of the issues of immigration and asylum?
| Labour | 23% |
|---|---|
| Conservative | 22% |
| Liberal Democrat | 11% |
| None of them | 25% |
| Don't know | 16% |
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