41% of Spaniards—16 points more than a year ago—view immigration with “a lot of concern,” according to a survey conducted by the 40dB Institute for El País. This survey follows a report from the Centre for Sociological Research (CIS), which also found that immigration has become the top concern for Spaniards.
The percentage of Spanish people who believe there are “too many” immigrants in the country has increased to 57.2%. Among VOX voters, this sentiment is even higher, with 86.1% agreeing. A significant portion of PP and PSOE voters share this view, as well as 27.7% of Sumar voters and 24.2% of Podemos voters. Meanwhile, only 4.1% of the respondents think there are “too few” immigrants in the country.
Nearly three out of four of the polled (74.8%) associate immigration with issues like insecurity (29.5%), strain on public services and resources (27.2%), social conflict (21.2%), crime (19.2%), unemployment (16.7%), or a “loss of cultural identity” (7.6%).
Concern about immigration differs based on political affiliation. Among VOX voters, 73% are “very concerned,” compared to 46.4% of PP voters, 29.2% of PSOE voters, 24.1% of Sumar voters, and 15.4% of Podemos voters.
When asked which party is most capable of handling immigration, 20.5% of the general population chose PSOE as the top choice, followed by VOX at 17.7% and PP at 16.2%. Sumar and Podemos received less than 6% each. Additionally, 17.2% selected “none,” while another 15% were unsure which party to choose.
Among the general population, nearly one in four Spaniards (24%) would veto the arrival of people from the Maghreb. 60% think their entry should be allowed but with restrictions, while 11% believe it should be permitted without limitations. Regarding sub-Saharan immigration, 17% would prohibit it, 64% support limited entry, and 13% think it should be unrestricted. In both cases, 5% responded, “I don’t know.”
Additionally, two-thirds (66%) feel that immigrants receive too much public aid, with 35% agreeing “quite a lot” and 31% agreeing “very much.”