"Freedom of speech", British quality, most valued by refugees

Perhaps unexpected:

MOST refugees feel the majority of British people welcome them to the UK, according to a poll commissioned to coincide with Refugee Week which starts today.

Last night the chief executive of the Welsh Refugee Council welcomed the results of the survey, which was conducted partly in Wales with the body’s support.

More than half of the asylum seekers and refugees interviewed said they either strongly agreed or tended to agree that the average British person welcomes refugees to the UK.

Most interviewees said what they most like about living in Britain is the British people, football and the UK’s multicultural society, while 58% said at least half of the friends they have made since arriving are British-born.

When asked which characteristics best represented the British people, one in two people said being friendly and one in three chose politeness.

As many as 90% added that what they most value about living in Britain is its proud tradition of freedom of speech and upholding human rights

But nevertheless, welcome. And that last sentence, re "freedom of speech", needs highlighting again and again; after all, if there is a section of society most open to the effects of its abuse, it must surely be those unfortunate souls who find themselves here as refugees and asylum seekers.