Britons have most positive view of Muslims in study of eight European countries

But research finds 26% of UK respondents hold negative perception of Muslims

A migrant boy stands outside a tent at a refugee camp in Nea Kavala, northern Greece. About 1,500 asylum-seekers transported from Greece's eastern Aegean island of Lesbos to the mainland. Around 1,000 of those transferred and housed in Nea Kavala, where they will be staying in tents until the end of the month, after which they will be transferred to a new camp under construction. AP

A migrant carries his belongings at a refugee camp in Nea Kavala, northern Greece. About 1,500 asylum-seekers transported from Greece's eastern Aegean island of Lesbos to the mainland. Around 1,000 of those transferred and housed in Nea Kavala, where they will be staying in tents until the end of the month, after which they will be transferred to a new camp under construction. AP

A migrant passes by telephone booths in Nea Kavala camp, near the city of Kilkis, northern Greece. Some 1000 refugees and migrants were transferred from the Greek island of Lesbos to the Nea Kavala camp under a decision taken by the Greek government at an emergency meeting on August 31. AFP

Hundreds of migrants arrive from the Greek island of Lesbos in the port of Thessaloniki. Another 700 migrants are due to be transferred later Monday, under a decision taken by the Greek government at an emergency meeting Saturday.The UN High Commissioner for Refugees said that the island of Lesbos was sheltering nearly 11,000 people at the end of August -- four times its capacity. In August alone, more than 3,000 people had arrived there, said the agency. AFP

Hundreds of migrants arrive from the Greek island of Lesbos in the port of Thessaloniki. Another 700 migrants are due to be transferred later Monday, under a decision taken by the Greek government at an emergency meeting Saturday.The UN High Commissioner for Refugees said that the island of Lesbos was sheltering nearly 11,000 people at the end of August -- four times its capacity. In August alone, more than 3,000 people had arrived there, said the agency. AFP

Children play after arriving at Nea Kavala refugee camp, near the city of Kilkis, northern Greece. Some 1000 refugees and migrants were transferred from the Greek island of Lesbos to the Nea Kavala camp under a decision taken by the Greek government at an emergency meeting on August 31. AFP

A boy stands at Nea Kavala camp, near the city of Kilkis, northern Greece. Some 1000 refugees and migrants were transferred from the Greek island of Lesbos to the Nea Kavala camp under a decision taken by the Greek government at an emergency meeting on August 31. AFP

Migrants are seen at Nea Kavala camp, near the city of Kilkis, northern Greece. Some 1000 refugees and migrants were transferred from the Greek island of Lesbos to the Nea Kavala camp under a decision taken by the Greek government at an emergency meeting on August 31. AFP

A baby sleeps at a refugee camp in Nea Kavala, northern Greece. About 1,500 asylum-seekers transported from Greece's eastern Aegean island of Lesbos to the mainland. Around 1,000 of those transferred and housed in Nea Kavala, where they will be staying in tents until the end of the month, after which they will be transferred to a new camp under construction. AP

A migrant arrives at a refugee camp in Nea Kavala, northern Greece. About 1,500 asylum-seekers transported from Greece's eastern Aegean island of Lesbos to the mainland. Around 1,000 of those transferred and housed in Nea Kavala, where they will be staying in tents until the end of the month, after which they will be transferred to a new camp under construction. AP

Children sleep inside a tent at a refugee camp in Nea Kavala, northern Greece. About 1,500 asylum-seekers transported from Greece's eastern Aegean island of Lesbos to the mainland. Around 1,000 of those transferred and housed in Nea Kavala, where they will be staying in tents until the end of the month, after which they will be transferred to a new camp under construction. AP

Jamie Prentis

British people have the most positive view of Muslims out of eight European countries, new research has found.

It found that those polled in the UK were more likely to be concerned with health and economic matters.

Despite this, the research commissioned by anti-racism advocacy group Hope not Hate found that 26 per cent of respondents in the UK had a negative perception of Muslims.

About 30 per cent of the Britons had a negative view towards immigrants, compared with 27 per cent who regarded them positively.

Almost a third were hostile towards immigrants in the eight European countries overall, with the sentiment particularly prominent in Hungary. Sweden had the most positive view.

Polling of more than 12,000 people in France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Sweden and the UK was carried out by YouGov and DataPraxis at the end of 2020.

Researchers also looked at perceptions of the Roma community. More than a third of Europeans polled had a negative opinion, with the trend particularly pronounced in France and Italy.

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The figures formed part of a wider report called State of Hate: Far Right in Europe,  Hope not Hate's widest analysis for the past year.

“Unsurprisingly, for the European far right both the global pandemic and the Black Lives Matter protests were seen as opportunities,” said Joe Mulhall, senior researcher at Hope not Hate.

“Though much of the European far right has failed to exploit the pandemic as much as they hoped, it has ushered in a new age of conspiracy theories as people seek comfort in simple and monocausal explanations for a world seemingly out of control."

But the aims of the Black Lives Matter movement in highlighting racism and the discrimination faced by minorities did receive more support.

About half of those polled in most of the countries said they had sympathy with the movement’s aims.

Nick Lowles, chief executive of Hope not Hate, said some of Europe’s far-right parties in opposition were doing better in the polls than a couple of years ago.

Mr Lowles said the Brothers of Italy, the Swedish Democrats and France’s Marine Le Pen had improved in polls.

“Clearly Le Pen is benefiting from the current unpopularity of Macron, both in his handling of the pandemic but also wider economic and political issues,” he said.

But Mr Lowles noted a fall in popularity for Poland’s Law and Justice Party, even though member Andrzej Duda was re-elected as president last year.

The far-right failed to fully capitalise on the economic and social chaos of the Covid-19 pandemic, but it has not stopped a “sharp increase” in hate crimes and speech against Asians, Muslims and Jews, said Safya Khan-Ruf, a Hope not Hate researcher.

“Online, this has been evident through misinformation campaigns, stigmatising memes and conspiracy theories around Covid-19 and minority groups,” Ms Khan-Ruf said.

“The far-right have successfully repackaged hateful ideas within new Covid-19 conspiracy theories, such as Jews being responsible for creating the pandemic or Muslims spreading the virus intentionally."

Mr Lowles said hate ideologies were being internationalised "like never before".
"As the coronavirus pandemic has swept across Europe, we have seen some radical and far-right groups prosper and some flounder," he said.

"At a European level, it’s clear that conspiracy theories, many with anti-Semitic roots, are gaining in popularity and that a rising racial nationalism is accompanying the continued increase in far-right terror."

Updated: February 16, 2021, 12:46 AM