Emigration Urge Strong In Britain

Chronicle (Levin), 21 April 1948, Page 5

Emigration Urge Strong In Britain

— — -»? Received Tuesduv, 7 p.m. LONDON, April 20. According to Ihe latest gullup poi! result published bv the London Newst'hrooicle, more people want to emigrate from Britain t hau in any of the other eight couiitries 111 which gallnp polls are conducted. boulh Africa and Aostralia are the flrst couiitries chosen by the majoriti of would-be migrants and Xew Zealand is next. The ])ercentage of British people who said they wa-nted to emigrate when qnestioned by the poil organisa tion, was 42. The ' next highest per centage was in Ilolland where 33 pei cent. said thev wouid like to lind new j homes overseas. Percentages voting j for emigration in other couiitries where the gallnp poi 1 opeiates were: — Italy 29, Xorway 2s, Pram-e 25, Lenmark 24. Sweden 13. Anstralia 5, United States 4. 6 The percentage of British peopkdesiring to emigrate is only slightly Jess than the mimbers oi' Genna'ns wh'o expressed a desire to move to another country when a similar test of puhli.opinion was conducted last year in the French Zone of Germany. Xine per eent. of the British people who said they would lik(*to start their lives again overseas, expressed the wish to go to Houth Africa and a similar percentage wanted to go to Anstralia. J'-ight per, eent preferred Xew Zealand aml (> per cent v"fcted for Canada. The juajority of the remainder wanted to go to other parts of the British Oonimonwealth. Only 4 pe-r cent. wanted to go t-o the I'nited States. This was in sharp contrast to the views of the majoritv of Conlinental icsidents who expressed preference I'o.Ameriea. The reason given by the great majoritv in both Britain and 011 the Contincii!, was the belief that better opporinnities existed in the country of their '•noicc. Comparatively few mentioned • a desire to escape from the direct aflc. ts oi' a possible third world war. bnmediately afler the end of the receiii war, the British g-a.Uu]> poil organisation asked the quest ion : " Have you recently thought of eniigrating ' ' (>!i that occasion only 10 per cent. coinpared with 42 per cent. today, answered in the affirmative.