Attitudes towards Topics Internal Security and Suppression of Terrorism, Asylum and Immigration

Attitudes towards the topics of internal security, asylum, immigration and counter-terrorism.

1. Internal security: subjective feeling of security or concern about criminal attacks; assessment of relevant sources of fear of crime (e.g. through portrayals of violence on television, through the daily news about crime and criminality, own experiences of victimisation, etc.); concern about concrete crimes (attacks by Islamist terrorists, organised criminal gangs from abroad, young people´s propensity to violence, theft and assaults on the open street, break-ins and break-ins of cars, violence in the family, police assaults); assessment of policy efforts to ensure security; assessment of appropriate security measures (more visible presence of police and law enforcement officers, faster deportation of foreign criminals, law enforcement officers in public transport, video surveillance of public places and in public transport vehicles, tougher penalties, more intensive police checks on motorways, stronger internet surveillance, more social prevention projects for young people); assessment of stronger cooperation between different German and international security bodies (police authorities of the Federation and the federal states, police and intelligence services of the EU states, resp. police and intelligence services of Germany and the USA); attitude towards video surveillance in public places (feeling of security or rather of unease or both at the same time); attitude towards data retention.

2. Attitudes towards asylum and immigration: Dealing with refugees with rejected asylum applications (deportation or toleration under certain conditions); concern about the increase in the number of refugees; concrete concerns regarding the topic of asylum and refugees in Germany (alienation, increasing criminality, rise in right-wing radicalism, loss of German identity, increase in illegal immigrants in the country, excessive demands on social security systems); necessity of selected measures to improve and tighten asylum law (immediate deportation in the case of rejected asylum applications, work permits for asylum seekers, toleration despite rejection of the asylum application, stricter examination of the grounds for asylum); assessment of selected criteria for immigration to Germany (occupation in demand, family members in Germany, young or old, political persecution in home country, university degree, good knowledge of German, no criminal offences in home country, desire for education); opinion on the immigration of highly qualified skilled workers from abroad; assessment of the domestic significance of German immigration policy; assessment of the importance of a welcoming culture for immigrants; immigrants feel welcome vs. not welcome in Germany.

3. Counter-terrorism: assessment of the danger of terrorist attacks in Germany; assessment of the federal government´s efforts with regard to protection against a terrorist attack; opinions on punishment of financial supporters and of sympathisers of terrorist organisations.

Demography: sex; age; highest level of education; employment; occupational status; marital status (household structure); religious denomination; net household income.

Additionally coded were: Respondent ID; weighting factor; city size; federal state.