Perceptions/Attitudes on Immigration:

A Cypriot High-School Perspective

Ms Azucena MollejoThe Philips European Hellenic School

Nicosia, Cyprus

Comenius Project May 2009

Anonymous Survey April 2009

Group A (35 foreign students)

Group B (121 local

students age 12-16) Group C (68 local

students age 17-18)

Q1. Should immigration be regarded as a threat?

Response by → Foreign Students

Local Students Age 12-16

Local Students Age 17-18

Yes 20% 22% 31%

No 43% 36% 26%

Sometimes 37% 41% 43%

Q2. Do you reject people who belong to other race, religion or thinking?

Foreign Students

Local Students Age 12-16

Local Students Age 17-18

Yes, always 11% 17% 9%

Yes, sometimes 37% 44% 53%

No, never 51% 39% 38%

Q3. Do you support equality among all people?

Foreign Students

Local Students Age 12-16

Local Students Age 17-18

Yes, only under certain circunstances

17% 33% 47%

Yes, always 69% 41% 43%

No, never 14% 26% 10%

Q4. Do you respect differences among people?

Response by → Foreign Students

Local Students Age 12-16

Local Students Age 17-18

Yes 77% 48% 60%

Sometimes 17% 36% 28%

No, never 6% 16% 12%

Q5. Have you ever heard any offence towards an immigrant?

Response by → Foreign Students

Local Students Age 12-16

Local Students Age 17-18

Yes 66% 74% 81%

No 34% 26% 19%

Q6. Have you ever felt verbally or physically attacked?

Response by → Foreign Students

Local Students Age 12-16

Local Students Age 17-18

Yes 40% 37% 40%

No 60% 63% 60%

Q7. Why some immigrants are labelled as illegal and others are not?

Response by → Foreign Students

Local Students Age 12-16

Local Students Age 17-18

Illegal immigrants are those who haven't got a government permit

83% 66% 76%

All immigrants are illegal

17% 34% 24%

Q8. Do you think the standard of living is the same across all countries that belong to the EU?

Foreign Students

Local Students Age 12-16

Local Students Age 17-18

Yes 11% 14% 7%

No 60% 46% 46%

It depends on the country

29% 40% 47%

Q9. Could you describe what makes children from other countries different?

Foreign Students

Local Students Age 12-16

Local Students Age 17-18

They have distinctive features (physical appearance)

20% 40% 29%

They reflect a different way of thinking

54% 31% 43%

They are just like us 26% 29% 28%

Q10. Could we just simply reject immigrants by their race, culture or religion?

Foreign Students

Local Students Age 12-16

Local Students Age 17-18

They don't deserve to be treated that way

23% 32% 34%

Only sometimes 31% 36% 43%

No, never 46% 32% 24%

Q11. Do immigrant families take their kids to public Cypriot schools?

Foreign Students

Local Students Age 12-16

Local Students Age 17-18

No 26% 35% 19%

Yes 74% 65% 81%

Q12. When immigrant families are already settled in Cyprus, do women develop the same duties and tasks as men?

Foreign Students

Local Students Age 12-16

Local Students Age 17-18

Women are relegated to housework, while men take on all duties

37% 51% 51%

Yes, women and men share all duties and tasks

63% 49% 49%

Q13. Why do you think the number or immigrant women is rising lately in Cyprus?

Foreign Students

Local Students Age 12-16

Local Students Age 17-18

a) Women may feel mistreated in their countries of origin

43% 31% 40%

They had no job in their countries

57% 69% 60%

Q14. Do you think it is easier for an immigrant woman to find a job?

Foreign Students

Local Students Age 12-16

Local Students Age 17-18

Yes 54% 42% 49%

Employers prefer hiring women in most cases

17% 31% 18%

No, it is not easier for a woman to get a job

29% 27% 34%

Q15. For what type of jobs are immigrants usually required to?

Foreign Students

Local Students Age 12-16

Local Students Age 17-18

Those jobs the Cypriots normally try to avoid

63% 55% 71%

Jobs which belong to the primary sector (agriculture…)

23% 30% 22%

Highly specialized jobs ( doctors…)

14% 15% 7%

Q16. Do they usually have the same income as the Cypriots?

Foreign Students

Local Students Age 12-16

Local Students Age 17-18

Yes, always 17% 17% 7%

Sometimes 40% 34% 25%

No, they don't. They are usually underpaid

43% 49% 68%

Q17. Do you think the Cypriot government has set out good policies of immigration?

Foreign Students

Local Students Age 12-16

Local Students Age 17-18

No 54% 41% 28%

I think immigrants come and stay in Cyprus very easily

14% 27% 49%

Yes, it is adequate as only immigrants with a contract are legal

31% 31% 24%

Q18. Are educational institutions suitable places to promote integration?

Foreign Students

Local Students Age 12-16

Local Students Age 17-18

Yes 43% 26% 16%

No 17% 38% 38%

Sometimes 40% 36% 46%

Q19. Do you think truancy has an adverse effect over the immigrant population?

Foreign Students

Local Students Age 12-16

Local Students Age 17-18

Yes 54% 33% 40%

No 9% 22% 28%

Sometimes 37% 44% 32%

Q20. How would you react if your friends suggested to skip a school lesson for a leisure centre?

Foreign Students

Local Students Age 12-16

Local Students Age 17-18

I would stay at school 34% 36% 28%

I would agree because I don't want to feel rejected by them

11% 21% 50%

I would try to persuade them not to leave the school

54% 40% 22%

Q21. Do you think a better pupil/teacher interaction could be helpful as to build a better environment and integrate students?

Foreign Students

Local Students Age 12-16

Local Students Age 17-18

Yes 83% 60% 66%

No 9% 15% 12%

I don't know 9% 25% 22%

Q22. Do you think truancy among immigrant students contributes to their discrimination?

Foreign Students

Local Students Age 12-16

Local Students Age 17-18

Yes 40% 31% 29%

No 29% 27% 28%

I don't know 31% 42% 43%

Q23. Do you relate truancy to immigration?

Foreign Students

Local Students Age 12-16

Local Students Age 17-18

Yes, immigrants do not like to attend class

29% 43% 37%

No, there is no relation 71% 57% 63%

Q24. Do you take the high school environment as a friendly and self promoting or as a hostile and troublesome place?

Foreign Students

Local Students Age 12-16

Local Students Age 17-18

Yes, I think it is a friendly place which helps me to learn and grow

49% 40% 29%

I think it is often a hostile place

37% 38% 57%

No, it is not a pleasant place

14% 21% 12%

Q25. Do you have any problem with immigrant students?

Foreign Students

Local Students Age 12-16

Local Students Age 17-18

Yes, I sometimes witness racist behaviour within the educational institution

31% 37% 34%

Sometimes 49% 29% 41%

No, they are totally integrated

20% 34% 25%

Q26. Do immigrant and Cypriot students have the same educational level?

Foreign Students

Local Students Age 12-16

Local Students Age 17-18

Yes, immigrants are sometimes even better students

49% 38% 28%

No 40% 40% 44%

They are at the same level 11% 21% 28%

Conclusions

Elements of discrimination surface The behaviour of immigrants e.g. higher

truancy rates for economic reasons gives rise to added apprehension

The school environment can possibly improve further the level of integration

Tentative Conclusions

Immigrant children attend public schools in significant numbers

Immigrant students do not seem to like the current immigration policies

Immigrants take those jobs the Cypriots normally try to avoid

Immigrant women are more likely to be employed

Thanks for your attention