UK and China among most generous nationalities towards refugees

A migrant takes a selfie with German Chancellor Angela Merkel outside a refugee camp. Merkel has faced growing criticism for her open door refugee policy.Reuters

Most people want to accept refugees into their country and many would even take them into their own homes.

This is according to The Refugees Index, a global survey commissioned by the human rights charity Amnesty International. The data, compiled across 27 nations with 27,000 people questioned, showed the British and the Chinese are among the most welcoming nationalities.

Participants were asked if they would accept refugees into their home, their neighbourhood, their town, or their country, or whether they would reject them altogether.

China emerged as the most hospitable nation for refugees. Nearly half (46 per cent) said they would welcome refugees in to their home, 42 per cent in their neighbourhood, town or country. Only six per cent said they would refuse refugees entry.

Germany, which has allowed more than a million refugees and migrants to enter, was second top. Despite a rise in far-right groups such as Pegida, only three per cent of Germans said they would refuse refugees entry to their country.

The UK came third with 11 per cent saying they would refuse refugees entry.

Amnesty's secretary general Salil Shetty said the data showed many governments were out of touch with peoples' views.

"These figures speak for themselves," he said. "People are ready to make refugees welcome, but governments' inhumane response to the refugee crisis are badly out of touch with the views of their own citizens."