Perceptions/Attitudes on Immigration: A Cypriot High-School Perspective Ms Azucena Mollejo The 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 ) Group C ( 68 local students age )

Q1. Should immigration be regarded as a threat? Response by → Foreign Students Local Students Age Local Students Age Yes20%22%31% No43%36%26% Sometimes37%41%43%

Q2. Do you reject people who belong to other race, religion or thinking? Foreign Students Local Students Age Local Students Age Yes, always11%17%9% Yes, sometimes37%44%53% No, never51%39%38%

Q3. Do you support equality among all people? Foreign Students Local Students Age Local Students Age Yes, only under certain circunstances 17%33%47% Yes, always69%41%43% No, never14%26%10%

Q4. Do you respect differences among people? Response by → Foreign Students Local Students Age Local Students Age Yes77%48%60% Sometimes17%36%28% No, never6%16%12%

Q5. Have you ever heard any offence towards an immigrant? Response by → Foreign Students Local Students Age Local Students Age Yes66%74%81% No34%26%19%

Q6. Have you ever felt verbally or physically attacked? Response by → Foreign Students Local Students Age Local Students Age Yes40%37%40% No60%63%60%

Q7. Why some immigrants are labelled as illegal and others are not? Response by → Foreign Students Local Students Age Local Students Age 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 Local Students Age Yes11%14%7% No60%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 Local Students Age They have distinctive features (physical appearance) 20%40%29% They reflect a different way of thinking 54%31%43% They are just like us26%29%28%

Q10. Could we just simply reject immigrants by their race, culture or religion? Foreign Students Local Students Age Local Students Age They don't deserve to be treated that way 23%32%34% Only sometimes31%36%43% No, never46%32%24%

Q11. Do immigrant families take their kids to public Cypriot schools? Foreign Students Local Students Age Local Students Age No26%35%19% Yes74%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 Local Students Age Women are relegated to housework, while men take on all duties 37%51% Yes, women and men share all duties and tasks 63%49%

Q13. Why do you think the number or immigrant women is rising lately in Cyprus? Foreign Students Local Students Age Local Students Age 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 Local Students Age Yes54%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 Local Students Age 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 Local Students Age Yes, always17% 7% Sometimes40%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 Local Students Age No54%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% 24%

Q18. Are educational institutions suitable places to promote integration? Foreign Students Local Students Age Local Students Age Yes43%26%16% No17%38% Sometimes40%36%46%

Q19. Do you think truancy has an adverse effect over the immigrant population? Foreign Students Local Students Age Local Students Age Yes54%33%40% No9%22%28% Sometimes37%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 Local Students Age I would stay at school34%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 Local Students Age Yes83%60%66% No9%15%12% I don't know9%25%22%

Q22. Do you think truancy among immigrant students contributes to their discrimination? Foreign Students Local Students Age Local Students Age Yes40%31%29% No29%27%28% I don't know31%42%43%

Q23. Do you relate truancy to immigration? Foreign Students Local Students Age Local Students Age Yes, immigrants do not like to attend class 29%43%37% No, there is no relation71%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 Local Students Age 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 Local Students Age 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 Local Students Age Yes, immigrants are sometimes even better students 49%38%28% No 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