The survey was conducted in July 2024. People were asked about their opinion on immigrants from non-EU countries who are legally residing in the European Union.
The majority of respondents agreed that immigrant workers help fill job vacancies where it is challenging to find workforce. The figure has remained stable throughout the years, standing at 71% both in 2024 and 2017. Half of the polled stated that immigrants have a positive effect on Lithuania’s economy.
Although the contribution of immigrants in the labour market is recognised, yet there are some negative sentiments in parallel. For instance, 44% of respondents think that immigrants take away jobs from workers in Lithuania. This figure has increased from 37% recorded in 2017.
In addition, more than 57% of respondents believe immigrants to be a burden on Lithuania’s social services system.
The duality in opinions is reflected as regards different professions, too. For example, 69% of respondents said that they would feel comfortable using the services of immigrant doctors. However, just 48% would be comfortable with an immigrant as their direct boss.
The attitude towards immigrants in managerial positions is the worst in 8 years. In 2017, 68% of respondents said they would be comfortable with an immigrant as their direct boss, while in 2021 this figure stood at 63%.
The representative survey of the Lithuanian population was carried out by the pollster Spinter tyrimai on 19-29 July. 1,007 people aged over 18 were interviewed.