Migration rises up list of Germans’ fears, survey says

A long-running survey by R+V Insurance has revealed that the number of Germans who fear their government could be overburdened by dealing with immigration has grown sharply this year.

For the first time, these fears about immigration were shared across the country, not concentrated in the poorer regions of former East Germany. A total of 56% of respondents said they feared the state and its institutions could be overwhelmed, putting that concern in fourth place, up from 45% and ninth place a year ago. Much lower down the rankings, in 11th place, were fears that immigration could cause social tensions, up from sixteenth place last year.

Ahead of immigration, respondents worried about the rising cost of living, the cost of accommodation, tax hikes, and benefit cuts, similar to last year’s readings. The growing anxiety about immigration has come amid a rise in support for the far-right AfD party, which came in second in a major regional election after a campaign that featured anti-migrant rhetoric.

SOURCE: REUTERS