Majority of Germans in favor of admitting war refugees into Germany: survey

The majority of Germans are in favor of admitting war refugees into Germany, said a new survey on Wednesday.

The survey, conducted on behalf of the Socio-Economic Panel (SOEP) study based at the German Institute for Economic Research, examined German attitudes, expectations, and fears as a barometer of public opinion on refugees.

Results showed that most respondents supported the rights of refugees to remain in the country in accordance with EU law and the Refugee Convention adopted in 1951.

According to the survey, over 80 percent of respondents think it is right to grant asylum to people fleeing armed conflict in their homeland. Two-thirds of respondents were in favor of admitting refugees.

However, support varies depending on the reason for fleeing.

Meanwhile, 55 percent of Germans surveyed were also in favor of refugees returning home once the situation in their country of origin had improved and the reason for fleeing no longer pertained.

The survey showed respondents' view of the impact of immigration on the German economy is somewhat more positive than it was in March, and they saw immigration as bringing either more opportunities or more risks.

Nevertheless, concerns and negative assessments regarding the short-term impact prevailed.

Respondents with higher levels of education were more likely to agree with asylum rights than those who were less educated. Agreement was also lower in eastern Germany and among supporters of right-leaning political parties, said the survey. Endit