Why Do You Think European Countries Generally Dislike Immigrants?

[Spectral]

You would say that. So the economical strain and the experiences with hateful immigrants are imaginary?

Not imaginary, but trivial. The conclusion that immigrants are bad is arrived at, and then it's just a matter of finding some perceived slights to justify it.

[Deleted]

The problem I think is that Europe in general has had a lot of left wing politicians in power since WW2. While in general there is nothing wrong with that those people are the ones basically forcing a multicultural civilization on people (once again, principle is ok) but they try to achieve that by giving immigrants more money and privileges than their "own" people. Basically they want people to integrate but try to achieve that by segregation. It's sheer stupidity.

As an example: I used to play Magic at a community center near my house (room was free while there was some activity for the elderly in another room, we had to pay for it). We got kicked out because they wanted to organise cooking classes for immigrant women. Not just cooking classes, not cooking classes for women, but cooking classes ONLY for immigrant women. For free. It's like they don't want people to integrate themselves into society.

It's most of the times not the immigrants themselves, they have their share of a**holes but you find those everywhere, it's how politicians treat them. The thing is, as an immigrant wouldn't you be insulted by a government that believes it needs to pamper you because you supposedly can't take care of yourself?

[Cybran]

Not imaginary, but trivial. The conclusion that immigrants are bad is arrived at, and then it's just a matter of finding some perceived slights to justify it.

That would almost make sense if there was a negative notion towards all immigrants, not just certain groups.

[holyunholy]

I voted other because there there is no option on public perception being negative due to racism or closed mindedness.

In Canada, we have a very broad consensus on immigration. The right party is very pro immigration (Except on asylum) as are the centre left parties and the French nationalists. The far left is even more pro immigration. In Canada, immigrants are expected to adapt but not discard their own culture. Hence our policy is that we are no a melting pot, but a mosaic and a multicultural society. Its a shame to read all these terribly bigoted views in this thread. When I was working (am in school now ), my colleagues were from all over the world China, India, Iran, Brazil, Eastern Europe, Belgium, France and Canadians. We all got along perfectly fine, invited each other to each other's house, socialized, faced the same issues etc.

I agree that North America is a far more welcoming place to immigrants than Europe (maybe except the UK, but who wants to go there, its too crowded ) If North America can do it why can't Europe ? It is more of a government issue rather than the fault of immigrants. ANd this includes failed government policies on asylum seekers and refugees. Adopting a system like Canada where you select highly skilled immigrants is far more productive. In fact in Canada the government is worried that countires like the US, AUstralia, NZ are poaching immigrants lol !

[Deleted]

Another note I'd like to add is that the immigrant to "original" inhabitant ratio is quite a bit higher here than it is in the US or Canada, with maybe the exception of the southern US states. In addition we have more people on a smaller surface so tension is bound to rise sooner.

[Urti]

This is prolly a really oversimplified view, seeing as how this topic isn't one that keeps me up at night, but I just assumed that most european countries have had centuries to foster a sense of national identity based on their traditional cultures. Seeing immigrants come into the country, and possibly dilute that identity with their own cultures and customs, can be frightening when it is a large part of how you define yourself. We see the same thing here in the states, which is hella odd seeing as how we are built from wave after wave of immigrants.

[Grizzly Willy]

...that's based on the fallacious premise that southern border states in the USA dislike immigrants, which is obviously false as per my observations living here.

Anecdotal evidence doesn't mean anything when the state governments reflect a more hostile attitude.

[Bolson13]

I voted other because there there is no option on public perception being negative due to racism or closed mindedness.

In Canada, we have a very broad consensus on immigration. The right party is very pro immigration (Except on asylum) as are the centre left parties and the French nationalists. The far left is even more pro immigration. In Canada, immigrants are expected to adapt but not discard their own culture. Hence our policy is that we are no a melting pot, but a mosaic and a multicultural society. Its a shame to read all these terribly bigoted views in this thread. When I was working (am in school now ), my colleagues were from all over the world China, India, Iran, Brazil, Eastern Europe, Belgium, France and Canadians. We all got along perfectly fine, invited each other to each other's house, socialized, faced the same issues etc.

I agree that North America is a far more welcoming place to immigrants than Europe (maybe except the UK, but who wants to go there, its too crowded ) If North America can do it why can't Europe ? It is more of a government issue rather than the fault of immigrants. ANd this includes failed government policies on asylum seekers and refugees. Adopting a system like Canada where you select highly skilled immigrants is far more productive. In fact in Canada the government is worried that countires like the US, AUstralia, NZ are poaching immigrants lol !

You do realise that we are talking about often poor and undeveloped people from countries in Africa and the middle East right? Every country in Europe also wants the highly skilled immigrants. The problem is that the war refugees literally cross the mediteranian or to some islands in the mediteranian that are of European nations. It is a constant stream of immigrants comming in. I don't think anybody is going to Canada on a boat any time soon where Europe litterally doesn't know where to put the refugees anymore because we also don't want to drown them in the mediteranian by pushing the boat back into the sea.

[Deleted]

Perhaps you should broaden the question to be about anti-immigration attitudes in general. I don't think Europeans are a special case in hostility towards immigrants. And it differs on a case by case basis. In Greece, the alarming rise to power of the Golden Dawn is coinciding with strong anti-immigrant attitudes, and this is further solidified by the fact that the police even allow Golden Dawn to "keep the peace" in certain areas. It's very alarming what is happening there.

In the UK we have such examples as the controversy over the mass immigration of Polish workers under Labour. Now surely that's less about racism and "otherness" and more about hostility towards immigration taking people's jobs. And needless to say it is often a complicated mixture of elements which politically minded people predictably give simplistic or populist explanations or solutions for.

[Honzi]

If North America can do it why can't Europe ? It is more of a government issue rather than the fault of immigrants. ANd this includes failed government policies on asylum seekers and refugees. Adopting a system like Canada where you select highly skilled immigrants is far more productive. In fact in Canada the government is worried that countires like the US, AUstralia, NZ are poaching immigrants lol !

It's nice that Canada can cherrypick its immigrants. But you only have one border and thats with a first world nation.

In Europe (the EU and some countries specifically) you have the freedom of movement for workers. And that's all of the workers, mostly coming from poorer countries to the rich ones. People don't dislike the skilled workers.

Also alot of the immigrants are fugitives, the last big wave was in the 90s from the balkan countries.

[Yunru]

Many immigrants are muslims and Islam isn't viewed very positively.

Mostly because these countrys were invading our country in the middle ages. Turks were the worst back then.
Secondary is because most of the europe in katolish or whatever its spelled.

To get you a general idea from some old news:
Angry Muslims set fire to a church in Indonesia
Followed by raging cruel murder of three members of the sect
8th February 2011 at 14:52
Jakarta - MMC RTV SLO / STA

Around thousands of enraged Muslims in Java in Indonesia invaded the court, burned two Christian churches and mission with the police.

The crowd in Temanggungu requested the death penalty for 58-year-old Christian Antonius Bawengana, which has distributed leaflets to insulting Islam and the court passed against him the maximum, five years in prison. Crowd of Muslims who accompanied the trial, it is razjarilo, since it is a premium penalty. Loudly demanded the death penalty and then went on a destructive march during which they burnt two churches, and a third injured.

The protesters threw stones at police, who responded with tear gas and warning shots into the air. The situation has stabilized while.

Raging in Indonesia erupted after Muslims set two days ago killed three members of a minority Islamic sect. Indonesia im largest Muslim population, is a secular country.

In other words. If some1 says something against their religion they attack you like fanatics. This is why no1 likes them in their countrys.

[Fojos]

Japanese are generally pretty unwelcoming of the idea of immigration. Why is it always an issue when western countries/people bring it up?

Because the west has no "culture" (especially not northern europe). That's literally what the morons in most parties in Sweden say.

I've never seen anyone even actually talk about the fact that many countries outside the "west" are very strictly against immigrants, of any kind.

[Catta]

Because the west has no "culture" (especially not northern europe). That's literally what the morons in most parties in Sweden say.

I've never seen anyone even actually talk about the fact that many countries outside the "west" are very strictly against immigrants, of any kind.

Maybe because two wrongs doesn't make a right.

[Deleted]

I think the recent trend towards anti-immigrants is nothing more than scapegoating. Some people just need an outlet for their frustrations, a reason why things are going to shit. So they point at the things they don't know, the new things that arrived and weren't there when everything was good for them. Meaning they blame the immigrants. It's kinda similar to certain loudmouth republicans blaming everything on gay marriage and video games. The media isn't helping in this, always reporting on everything negative in sensationalist tones while the good news sits on page 18 somewhere in a corner of the newspaper, if it's in there at all.

[Deleted]

I can say this: Europeans (for the most part) definately prefer immigrants to Americans ^^

[Outofmana]

We do not dislike immigrants, we dislike the religion they bring; Islam.

[Deleted]

I can say this: Europeans (for the most part) definately prefer immigrants to Americans ^^

Piers Morgan Approves.

[Cybran]

Japan is the prime example of a country that doing fine without immigration. How is that a "wrong"?

[Deleted]

We do not dislike immigrants, we dislike the religion they bring; Islam.

It is the people that suck at being religious. Not the Religion itself.

[Fojos]

Maybe because two wrongs doesn't make a right.

So not letting anyone who wants into the country is a "wrong".