03 August 2015

Finns would rather live near a rehab centre than a mosque, poll claims

Attitude survey finds that a Muslim prayer room is second only to a drug users’ needle exchange in terms of unpopular neighbourhood services, while support centres for alcoholics or mental health patients would be more warmly received

Finns would prefer to live near an alcohol rehabilitation centre than to a Muslim prayer room, a new poll claims.

A survey commissioned by Yle on so-called Nimbyism – which stands for “Not In My Back Yard” - asked 1,000 respondents which services they would be happy to see established in their neighbourhood.

43 percent said they would have no objection to a rehab facility for alcoholics being established close to where they live – compared to just 34 percent who said they would be happy living close to a mosque or Muslim prayer room.

The Nimbyism poll, carried out by the organisation Taloustutkimus, claimed that homes for people with disabilities received the warmest response, with 76 percent of those questioned saying they would not mind if such an institution was set up in their neighbourhood.

Other services included in the poll were a reception centre for asylum seekers (accepted by 41 percent), a mental health support centre (accepted by 52 percent) and a support home for young people (accepted by 66 percent). [Yle] Read more