Cypriots among top 10 xenophobics in Europe
Cyprus is among the ten most xenophobic countries in Europe, according to the European Social Survey (ESS), a research infrastructure providing freely accessible data for academics, policymakers, civil society and the wider public.
The latest ESS for 2022, disclosed by the Cyprus Centre for Field Studies (UCFS) of the University of Cyprus, underscored the presence of robust xenophobic sentiments in Cyprus, urging the state to adopt a holistic approach to migration.
According to the report, Cyprus ranks among the ten most xenophobic nations participating in the ESS, out of a total of 31.
In an announcement, the UCFS clarified that although xenophobia may not have waned, “we possess the necessary tools to recognise and, consequently, manage it, with the ESS serving as a dependable instrument for such identification.” In the latest data collection in Cyprus, participants were asked whether the immigration of individuals of the same ethnic origin as the majority of the island’s residents should be permitted. A 58% agreed to some extent.
However, according to the UCFS, this majority agreement transformed into rejection when the question involved people of different ethnic origins or those arriving from economically disadvantaged nonEuropean countries.
Some 65% disagreed to some extent with the immigration of individuals of different nationality, a percentage that reached 66% when it pertained to people from poorer nonEuropean countries.
“The contradiction between attitudes towards immigration of people of the same and different ethnic origin indicates the existence of strong xenophobic attitudes in Cyprus,” noted the UCFS.
“Greek Cypriot residents, in the majority, seem to significantly differ from the general attitude in Europe, as more negative attitudes are observed in Cyprus compared to the European average,” it added.
About 44% of participants stated that they believe to some extent that immigration harms the economy, while 49% also believe it harms the cultural life of Cyprus.
Moreover, a near-majority of participants (48%) claim that with the arrival of people from other countries, Cyprus becomes a worse place to live.
“The above responses reveal the prevalence of a sense of threat, specifically, realistic and symbolic threat,” it is stated.
The UCFS also noted that ‘realistic’ threats, are related to fears about physical risks, for example, risks to the person’s physical integrity or health, or, in this case, to their economic well-being. It said the term ‘realistic’ does not imply the existence of actual threats and only refers to the subjective perception of the individual.
Similarly, symbolic threats involve the sense of danger that may arise from the clash between an individual’s or a group’s worldview and another ‘foreign’ perception of things. Such threats concern religion, values, ethics, customs and tradition.