Poll shows varying attitudes to immigration benefits

PARIS, May 26 (Reuters) A majority of Britons and Italians think there are too many immigrants in their country, while only around one third of Americans and French share that opinion, a survey showed.

In a poll for the International Herald Tribune daily and France 24 TV station yesterday, 32 per cent of French people said there were too many immigrants, compared with 35 per cent of Americans, 55 per cent of Italians and 67 per cent of Britons.

Immigration and national identity were prominent themes in a French presidential election this month, but the survey showed 54 per cent of French believed immigration was a good thing.

Fifty-nine percent of Americans shared that opinion.

Fifty-four per cent of Britons thought immigration was harming their country.

New French President Nicolas Sarkozy has made selective immigration a key policy and has just named a close ally at the head of a new ministry for immigration and national identity, a pledge that struck a chord with far-right voters.

The survey showed 56 per cent of French people said border controls were too lax, compared to 80 per cent of Britons, 78 per cent of Italians and 73 per cent of Americans.

The expulsion of illegal immigrants was backed by 60 per cent of Italians, 59 per cent of Britons, 54 per cent of Germans, 46 percent of Americans and 43 per cent of Spaniards.

But only 34 per cent of French people consulted said illegal immigrants should be expelled, with 19 per cent saying they should be allowed to stay if they had children in school and 19 per cent calling for alternative solutions to the problem.

The poll of 6,585 people was carried out in France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Britain and the United States from May 2-14.

REUTERS AB HS0853