According to recent polls, the public is more upset with the government's inability to tackle the illegal immigration crisis than at any other point since the Brexit referendum.
Public Dissatisfaction with Government Handling of Illegal Immigration Crisis
A larger majority of respondents (2/3) expressed their dissatisfaction, compared to 9% who declared being happy with the current handling of the illegal immigration situation.
The numbers came from an Ipsos and British Future tracker poll of 3,000 adults, and they represent the most negative rating since the poll was originally performed in 2015, the year prior to the Brexit vote.
Only 16% of current Conservative supporters, and 8% of those who voted Conservative in 2019, are pleased with the performance on immigration.
More than half (55%) of current Conservatives, and more than two-thirds (71%) of 2019 Tory voters, are dissatisfied. Approximately 10% of Labour supporters indicated they were satisfied, while 72% were not.
The failure to halt the Channel small boat crossings is the primary source of their displeasure, as stated by 54% of those who were dissatisfied with the government's overall handling of the problem. This was followed by 51% of respondents expressing concern about overall immigration levels.
Differing Political Perspectives on Immigration
Immigration is viewed as more significant in choosing whether to vote Conservative than Labour, with 53% of potential Tory voters stating so. That ranked it as the third most important concern, after the NHS (57 percent) and cost of living (55 percent). Labour voters ranked it 12th, with 27% noting it.
The percentage of voters who wish to reduce migration has also increased to 52%, up from 48% in 2023. It comes as net migration sets an unprecedented high of 745,000 in 2022, virtually double pre-Brexit levels.
Seven out of ten current Conservative supporters (72%) want immigration curbed.
However, the majority of Labour supporters preferred that immigration numbers remain the same (32%) or grow (20%), with 40% wanting cutbacks.
Only 32% of the public thought the Rwanda plan would reduce the number of people attempting to enter the UK with no authorization to seek refugee status, while 56% said it was unlikely to do so. However, 47% backed the programme, while 29% opposed it.
Sunder Katwala, governor of British Future, said: “There is widespread public dissatisfaction with the government’s handling of immigration, but for different reasons. Many Conservatives want tougher action to match tough words, while Labour supporters want more compassion alongside control.
“There’s a gulf in how much immigration matters to how people will vote in the coming election. For Conservatives, it’s the number three issue after the NHS and cost of living; for Labour supporters, it doesn’t make the Top Ten. That makes for very different pressures on the two party leaders in the coming campaign.”