Support for Afghans

By JOHN ROUGHAN

Public opinion appears to have turned in favour of the Government's offer to take 150 Afghan boat people.

A New Zealand Herald-DigiPoll survey, completed before the terrorist attack on the United States on Wednesday, found 49 per cent support for the Government's offer, 46.5 per cent against and 4.4 per cent undecided.

It is an almost exact reversal of the results of a smaller, Colmar Brunton, poll conducted for One News just after the offer was announced two weeks ago.

The Herald-DigiPoll survey has also found that nearly half of those polled believe the boat people pose a security risk and also believe their acceptance would "open a flood gate".

The boat people fled Afghanistan and tried to reach Australia from Indonesia. They were rescued by a Norwegian freighter MV Tampa, and had nowhere to go until the Government made its offer.

Up to 150 were expected to arrive in New Zealand this weekend, until an Australian court ordered the federal Government to accept them while their asylum applications were considered.