A recent survey has revealed that dissatisfaction among the British public regarding the government’s handling of immigration issues has reached its highest level since before the Brexit vote. According to the Immigration Attitudes Tracker survey, conducted across England, Scotland, and Wales, a substantial two-thirds (66%) of respondents expressed their dissatisfaction with the way politicians in charge are managing immigration matters.
This alarming level of dissatisfaction marks a significant increase from previous years and is the highest recorded since the survey’s inception in 2015. Notably, this figure has surged from a low of 41% in 2020.
The research, carried out by Ipsos in collaboration with think tank British Future, indicates that this dissatisfaction cuts across both sides of the political spectrum, albeit for different reasons. Among Conservative supporters, 56% expressed dissatisfaction, with only 22% indicating satisfaction with the government’s approach to immigration. In contrast, among Labour supporters, nearly three-quarters (73%) expressed dissatisfaction, while a mere 8% were satisfied.
For the dissatisfied Conservative supporters, their main grievance was the perception that the government “is not doing enough to stop Channel migrant crossings,” cited by 82% of those dissatisfied. This comes in the wake of recent accusations that the government has failed to address the issue, with a record number of crossings in 2023.
Rishi Sunak, the Prime Minister, has defended his “stop the boats” plan, asserting that it is making progress and effectively addressing the problem.
However, among dissatisfied Labour supporters, 46% pointed to stopping Channel crossings as a reason for their discontent. A similar proportion felt that the current political approach “creates a negative or fearful environment for migrants who live in Britain” and that the government “is not treating asylum seekers well.” Only 4% of dissatisfied Tory supporters cited “not treating asylum seekers well” as a reason for their dissatisfaction.
The survey, conducted online with 3,000 adults in July and August, indicated that 48% of the public now supports reducing immigration, an increase from 42% the previous year. There are significant divisions along party lines on this issue, with 67% of Conservative supporters favouring immigration reductions, while only 38% of Labour supporters share this view. Over half (56%) of Labour supporters believe immigration numbers should either rise or remain unchanged.
Interestingly, the research revealed that more people (43%) believe immigration has had a positive impact on Britain, while 37% feel its effect has been negative. However, the negativity has risen by eight percentage points from 29% since 2022.
