More than half of Latvians do not want to live side by side with refugees

The SKDS Research Center’s survey has shown that 55% of the Latvians would not like to live side by side with refugees.

EADaily’s correspondent quotes the survey as saying that for 86% of the Latvians the worst neighbors are drug addicts, for 70% former convicts, for 53% Muslims, for 52% Gypsies, for 37% gays, for 31% Asians, for 19% gastarbeiters, for 18% Africans, for 5% Russians, for 5% families with little kids and disabled people. 6% would accept any neighbor.

This year the Latvian authorities have promised the EU to host over 500 immigrants from the Middle East. A few days ago they reduced the immigrant benefit from 256 EUR to 139 EUR a month. For the second and the third member of his or her family an immigrant will get just 70% of the minimum wage or 97 EUR. Almost as much will be given to refugees under age.

According to Latvian MP Janis Dombrava, the immigrants arriving in Latvia are too hard to please. “When exiled to Siberia, my relatives ate whatever they could find, while our refugees refuse to eat the bread and meat we offer to them,” Dombrava said, referring to a survey saying that some immigrants refuse to eat food offered by the Latvian authorities.