First-time voters want Britain to remain a haven for refugees

http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2014/jun/14/yougov-first-time-voters-refugees

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An overwhelming majority of young voters wants Britain to maintain its tradition of offering sanctuary for refugees, according to a poll that challenges the political belief that an anti-asylum ticket will woo the electorate.

Eight out of 10 people who will be eligible to vote for the first time next May said they were proud of Britain's legacy of protecting people fleeing violence, war and persecution, while three-quarters urged the government to maintain the UK's reputation for offering a haven for people, particularly children.

The poll – released to coincide with Refugee Week, which starts on Monday – examined the attitudes of the 3.3 million people who could vote for the first time next year and, with 1.35 million indicating that they will definitely vote, groups are using the findings to demand politicians reconfirm their commitment to asylum seekers.

Support for protecting child refugees is most robust among next year's potential debut voters, with 82% in favour. An accompanying poll of British adults aged over 21, also by YouGov, revealed that nearly seven in 10 believe that Britain should be proud of its history of offering protection to refugees; only 15% disagreed.

Refugee Council chief executive Maurice Wren said: "Our heritage of offering safety to those in need is just as vital today as it was in the past, with the Syrian conflict fuelling the greatest refugee crisis of our time.

"Over the last decade, some feared that Britain's commitment to protecting and supporting refugees – children and adults – might be weakening. This new poll finds that it's actually getting stronger. Protecting and helping vulnerable people is an intrinsic part of being British."

One young person who has been given a new start in Britain, Hassan Al-Mousaoy, from Iraq, who now lives in Stockwell, London, said his mother was keen for him to escape the everyday danger in Baghdad.

Al-Mousaoy, who arrived in 2006 after his father was kidnapped and killed the previous year, said: "I was lucky and came. It was tough in Iraq – no school, no work to support my family, and no future. The killing was so common it was like drinking water here; you would see 50-60 dead bodies across the city and bodies would be piled up in the backs of cars like sardines to be buried."

The 25-year-old, who is studying to become an engineer at South Bank University, said: "When I came here, I had nothing, but after eight years I have learnt photography and held two exhibitions and published two books and now I've just finished my second year of engineering."