Half the population of Germany feels they are “foreigners in their own country” because there are too many Muslims, according to a survey published Wednesday showing hardening attitudes against migrants.
The result from the University of Leipzig’s latest survey of 2,420 people marked a seven percentage point rise to 50 percent from 43 percent in a similar 2014 poll.
This time round, four in ten said they want Muslims blocked from immigrating to Germany, a figure up from 36.6 percent in 2014.
Overall, three in ten complained that Germany had been “infiltrated by too many foreigners in a dangerous way”, added the survey, which was carried out after a year in which Germany opened its doors to a record 1.1 million asylum seekers.
Skepticism appears to be running high against migrants, with three in five Germans saying that most asylum seekers “are not really at risk of any persecution in their home country”.
The mass influx of asylum seekers has sparked a backlash in Germany — which has since reintroduced temporary border controls and taken other steps to reduce arrivals.
