Immigrants and the unemployed create unease in the Balearics

PALMA
IMMIGRANTS and the unemployed are the sectors of society which create the highest levels of insecurity for the rest of the Balearics, a survey carried out by the Gadeso Foundation claimed yesterday.

Above all, reported the study, people on Majorca and Ibiza viewed immigrants as potential “delinquents” and competition in the labour market, particularly in the current economic climate.

Research carried out on issues which worry citizens in the Balearics, said the Foundation, varied from island to island. People on Ibiza, it claimed, were those who were most likely to see immigrants as “a problem” (9.3 out of 10 compared to 8.5 last year).

The unemployed and the homeless are the next greatest cause for concern on Ibiza, said Gadeso, with a rate of 8.7 out of 10 compared to 8.4 in 2009.
The survey showed that the same issues worrying those on Ibiza also prompted concern amongst those on Majorca, but to a lesser degree: 9.1 and 8.6 out of 10 respectively for this year compared to 8.1 and 7.9 in 2009.

The only islands where immigration and unemployment were not seen as a threats to the fabric of society were Minorca and Formentera. Here, instead, the greatest concerns related to protection of personal property and hooliganism, 8.2 and 7.7 respectively. Immigration meanwhile, as an issue of public worry, was down on Minorca in fourth place and on Formentera, immigration didn't even appear amongst a list of issues which were likely to worry the population.

The report by the Gadeso Foundation also revealed that three of every 10 citizens of the Balearic Islands had suffered either directly, or indirectly, from crime - mostly related to vehicle theft or house robbery. On Ibiza, the survey showed that this figure rose to 4 out of 10.

The population of the Islands, said Gadeso, attributes the feelings of insecurity to the recession. “Many people have no confidence in the future,” the report said.