Wednesday, April 27, 2022

WHITE VOLK
Gallup: Record number of U.S. residents approve admitting Ukrainian refugees


Ukrainians who fled to Mexico amid Russia's invasion of Ukraine wait in front of the San Ysidro Port of Entry of the U.S.-Mexico border on April 4. More than 70% of U.S. residents approve to have up to 100,000 Ukrainian refugees in the United States, according to Gallup on Tuesday. 
Photo by Ariana Drehsler/UPI | License Photo


April 26 (UPI) -- Some 78% of U.S. residents approve of allowing up to 100,000 Ukrainian refugees into the United States, representing the country's highest level of public support for admitting refugees in various situations since 1939.

More than 5 million Ukrainian residents have fled their country since the start of Russia's invasion on Feb. 24. Eastern European countries like Poland and Romania have absorbed the bulk of those fleeing the violence.

President Joe Biden said he wants to take in up to 100,000 refugees and will expedite rules for their legal entry. Gallup conducted a poll of U.S. adults from April 1-19 with a margin of error of 4%.

Current U.S. support topped the 66% who approved having "several hundred ethnic Albanian refugees from Kosovo" in 1999 and a 51% approval of "several hundred" Honduras and Central American refugees in 2018, according to Gallup.

Support for Ukrainian refugees coming to the United States cut across political lines with 61% of Republicans approving the arrival of Ukrainians, 79% of independents and 92% of Democrats.

"Before Russia invaded Ukraine in late February, the majority of Americans (62%) had a favorable view of Ukraine, far more than viewed Russia favorably (15%)," Gallup said. "Now that the atrocities of war are mounting and driving millions out of the country, nearly four in five Americans are ready to welcome up to 100,000 Ukrainian refugees."

U.S. residents have often been cool to such influxes of refugees. In 2015, just 37% of U.S. residents approved of 10,000 Syrian refugees coming to the United States. In 1958, 33% of U.S. residents approved of 160,000 Hungarian refugees coming.


In 1979, 32% of U.S. residents approved of Indochinese refugees from Vietnam, commonly called "boat people" coming to the United States.

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