Finnish national daily Helsingin Sanomat on Monday quoted a poll as indicating that some 59 per cent of the public opposed an increase in immigration, up from 44 per cent returned by a similar poll carried out a year ago and from 36 per cent three years ago.

The paper quoted Heikki Ervasti, a professor of social policy at the University of Turku, as saying that the survey marked a reversal of a trend of rising tolerance that had begun in the 1980s.

Said Aden, chair of the Finnish Somali League, said the outcome of the survey was hardly surprising during a recession.

Commissioned by Helsingin Sanomat, market research company Taylor Nelson Sofres (TNS) interviewed 1,000 people.

STT