Brussels, 08/03/2004 (Agence Europe) - "People are less nervous than one would have thought", the European Commission considers in the light of the results of the Eurobarometer survey on asylum and immigration, published on Monday 8 March. As we had announced (EUROPE of 16 March, p.15), the survey shows that 66% of Europeans agree that immigrants in a legal situation should be granted the same rights as nationals, 56% consider immigration is necessary for certain sectors of the economy, but 80% want to step up border controls. The Head of Unit for asylum and immigration, Jean-Louis de Brouwer does not see a contradiction between the agreement on opening Europe up to economic immigration and a request for stepping up border controls. The Commission is on the whole "pleased" with the results, which "correspond" to what it had expected. Mr de Brouwer recognises that it would have been useful for immigration issues to be gone into in greater detail.