Poll Shows Increase in Dissatisfaction with Immigration Policies

Significant public dissatisfaction with the government’s handling of immigration has been revealed in a new poll released on Monday. This marks the highest level of discontent since before the EU referendum.

The survey, conducted by Ipsos and the British Future think tank, shows that an overwhelming 69 percent of Britons are unhappy with the current approach to immigration, with only 9 percent expressing satisfaction. Among current Conservative supporters, satisfaction drops to just 16 percent, with an even lower 8 percent among those who voted for the party in 2019.

Political preferences among respondents indicate that the Labour Party is more trusted than the Conservatives to have the right overall immigration policies, with Reform UK also ahead of the Conservatives but behind Labour. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak faces the highest level of distrust on immigration issues among politicians.

Steve Ballinger, director of communications for British Future, stated: “Immigration is the number three issue for those planning to vote Conservative, behind the NHS and cost of living. This is a much higher priority than for Labour supporters, for whom it ranks 12th, but it still won’t be an ‘immigration election’ for most Tories.

“For the public as a whole, Labour is now more trusted than the Conservatives on immigration, so driving up the salience of the issue even further may be a risky strategy for the government.”

The survey, titled “Immigration and the election: Time to choose,” is part of British Future’s Immigration Attitudes Tracker, which has been monitoring public sentiment since 2015. It highlights various reasons for dissatisfaction across political lines, including concerns over Channel crossings and the treatment of migrants.

Channel Crossing Response Criticised

The poll shows a divided public with dissatisfaction rooted in various issues.

A majority of 54 percent criticized the government for not doing enough to prevent Channel crossings, and 51 percent believe immigration numbers are excessively high.

On the other side, 28 percent of the dissatisfied group argue that the government is creating a negative environment for migrants living in Britain, and 25 percent disapprove of the treatment of asylum seekers.

Opinions on asylum and the contentious Rwanda scheme are divided along political lines, with a majority of Conservatives supporting the plan, whereas Labour supporters are more divided.

The progress of the Rwanda deportation bill, a centrepiece of Tory immigration policy, has been significantly delayed following multiple defeats in the House of Lords last Wednesday.

The bill, officially known as the Safety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Bill, aims to facilitate the deportation of asylum seekers to Rwanda and has been a subject of contentious debate.

Despite the government’s efforts to speed up the legislation, peers in the Lords rejected it, necessitating its return to the House of Commons for further consideration. This delay is likely to extend until at least late April, complicating the government’s timeline for implementing the policy.

Rwanda Deal ‘Central’ to Sunak Hopes

Director of PeoplePolling, Matt Goodwin, told The Epoch Times: “The Rwanda deal is central to Rishi Sunak’s dwindling chances at the next election; unless he can demonstrate meaningful progress in dealing with illegal migration, there will be no incentive for his disillusioned voters to return to the Conservative fold.”

The Lords’ rejection came after seven amendments were voted in, indicating a substantial opposition to the bill within the upper chamber. The legislation’s stall raises doubts about fulfilling the prime minister’s ambitious goal to commence deportation flights to Kigali by spring, aligning with the Conservative government’s broader pledge to “stop the boats” of illegal immigrants crossing the Channel.

British Future’s latest survey, conducted in February 2024, involved a representative sample of 3,000 adults across Great Britain. Findings suggest a complex challenge for whichever party the next government is formed by, in regaining public confidence in immigration policy.

The Office for National Statistics estimated last year that net migration to the UK was 745,000 in 2022, up from just 184,000 in 2019 before the COVID-19 pandemic.