According to a survey commissioned by the Estonian Government Office and conducted by a professional market research company TNS Emor, 32 percent of Estonian residents would agree to admit refugees in the country.
The poll shows that 42 percent are against and 26 percent remain either neutral or undecided in this matter.
Over half of the respondents, 57.7 percent, care about the refugee issue, 22 percent are neutral and just over 20 percent don’t pay any attention at all.
Almost 42 percent agree that displaced persons need help. The empathy is stronger among the young, 15-24-year-olds, people with higher education, and non-Estonian residents.
The approval to assist the refugees is highest among Tallinn and Tartu inhabitants.
On June 26, EU government heads agreed not to follow through with the EC’s migrant quota plan to solve the Mediterranean refugee crisis. It was decided that a voluntary agreement between the countries is preferable to a forced obligation.
The National Audit Office of Estonia is currently preparing an audit to analyze the capacity of the state in various areas, including education, social protection, integration, healthcare and so on, to accept refugees.
Minister of Internal Affairs Hanno Pevkur said Estonia is capable of accepting between 84 and 156 refugees.
VES / ERR News
