By Emma Farge
GENEVA, July 14 (Reuters) – Most people back the idea of providing refuge to those fleeing war or persecution, even in countries where governments have restricted refugee intakes, such as the United States, an Ipsos poll showed on Tuesday.
Legal protections for refugees are enshrined in the 1951 Refugee Convention, drafted in the aftermath of World War Two, which displaced tens of millions of people.
But near-record levels of displacement around the world, due partly to long-running conflicts like Ukraine or Sudan have prompted some governments, including once welcoming ones, to tighten border controls.
The survey of more than 20,000 adults across 29 countries, conducted by Ipsos and the U.N. refugee agency, showed that two-thirds of respondents agreed that people in danger should have the option to seek refuge in another country. That figure was virtually unchanged from last year and some countries like Japan and France even showed hikes in support for refugees.
“Even despite all of the background noise and the polarisation in the world at the moment, generally support for the institution of refuge and asylum is holding up and we think that that’s quite a positive thing to say in the current environment,” said Matthew Saltmarsh, spokesperson for the U.N. refugee agency at a Geneva press briefing.
In the United States, where President Donald Trump froze refugee admissions from around the world when he took office in January 2025, 72% of respondents backed refugee protections. Trump has since increased the refugee admissions ceiling to allow more white South Africans to enter.
However, many of those surveyed, or around 61%, also voiced doubts about the validity of some asylum claims, with this view often being voiced by those who also support protecting refugees, the survey showed.
“What we see is a tension between people wanting to support those in desperate need at the same time as having doubts about whether the system is working as it should,” said Trinh Tu, managing director of Ipsos UK.
The survey also showed that younger people were more positive on refugees than older ones, with almost half of Gen Z respondents voicing hope that refugees would integrate versus 39% of Baby Boomers.
(Reporting by Emma Farge; Editing by Sharon Singleton)
