New polling from YouGov has revealed that Britons have a more negative attitude towards immigration than ten years ago, suggesting steady and widespread support for greater immigration restrictions and border controls.
| PULSE POINTS |
❓ WHAT HAPPENED: British people have a more negative view of immigration compared to a decade ago, according to a new poll. 📺 DETAIL: According to polling published on Monday by YouGov, the largest polling firm in the United Kingdom, attitudes towards immigration in Britain are more negative than ten years ago. When asked whether immigration has been good for Britain, 43 percent believe that it has been “mostly bad” for the country, making this the most popular response. This represents a ten percent increase from 2016. By contrast, only 21 percent believe immigration has been “mostly good.” In addition, 29 percent believe immigration has been both good and bad for Britain. The polling also revealed a drop in support for taking immigrants from Russia, Israel, and India overall. The data also showed a partisan divide over the importance of religion in deciding which migrants to take. Specifically, 67 percent of Nigel Farage’s Reform UK party see religion as important, whereas only 12 percent of people who support Zack Polanski’s far-left Green Party believe that religion is an important factor. Attitudes towards immigration were also influenced by whether the migrants have a criminal record or valuable economic skills. 💬 KEY QUOTE: “On the broad question of immigration numbers, attitudes are remarkably similar. At present, 47 percent of Britons say the level of immigration to the UK has been “much too high” – ten years ago, that figure was 44 percent.”— YouGov. 🎯 IMPACT: This shows that Britons believe that there is too much immigration, reflecting similar findings from ten years ago. The polling also shows more Britons view immigration as harmful to the country rather than beneficial or even cost-neutral. This indicates that the British political establishment is failing to address the public’s concerns regarding immigration. As such, immigration is likely to remain a salient issue and drive support for parties offering immigration restriction and stronger borders, such as Nigel Farage’s Reform UK party. 📺 FLASHBACK: This poll coincides with reports that Labour Prime Minister Andy Burnham is planning to make the so-called “Boriswave,” an unprecedented and unwanted spike in immigration under former Conservative Prime Minister Boris Johnson, permanent, by watering down Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood’s previously planned immigration reforms. |
Our follow-up to a 2016 study finds UK attitudes to immigration are now more negative than 10 years ago, with the view that it has been "mostly bad for the country" now the most common
Mostly bad for the country: 43% (+10 from Aug 2016)
Both good and bad: 29% (-9)
Mostly good:… pic.twitter.com/FcPRzW0BBk— YouGov (@YouGov) August 10, 2026
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