I thought a small minority of Italians might hold this view. But upwards of 60% do: http://www.immigrazioneoggi.it/daily_news/2008/febbraio/11_1.html

No wonder Berlusconi and his anti-immigrant stance are so popular.

What IS surprising (or maybe not, if we think about it) is "who" the Italians consider to be immigrants.

I know from personal conversations that Italians do NOT consider British, American, Canadian, Brazilian or Argentinians to be 'immigrants', yet often we are. But they don't perceive that we are here to 'take the bread out of their mouths'!

They consider Mexicans and Peruvians to be acceptable 'because they work hard.'

The citizens of the 'old EU' seem to pass muster too...

What they do object to (IMHO) are those arriving from the ex European Eastern Bloc and those from Africa - all commonly kown as 'illegali'. These are the ones that Italians fear, and that they are convinced (right OR wrong as that may be) that are the cause of xx% of crime these days!

This - in my experience is clearly borne out when I am in a shop and I hear Italian being spoken with a 'strange accent', or the speaker has a different coloured skin...yet if I speak Italian with a 'British accent' or have a suntan to make my skin dark brown then the difference in the way I am treated to how 'they' are is really noticeable!

Brazilians, Argentinians and Peruvians catch all kind of hell trying to immigrate here. Check out the boards on www.tuttostranieri.it or letters section of www.aduc.it/dyn/immigrazione .