Despite being promised that Brexit would see Britain “take back control” of its borders, a record number of voters believe that illegal immigration has spiked since the UK left the European Union, a survey has found.
The British electorate is widely “sceptical” over Brexit’s impact on reducing immigration, with 56 per cent of voters believing that illegal immigration has increased following the country’s departure from the EU compared to just 11 per cent who believed that it has fallen, according to data from Redfield & Wilton Strategies.
While it is difficult to determine the actual number of people who illegally immigrated to the country, as the majority of illegal immigration is typically comprised of people overstaying their visas, the polling results come as a record 45,000 boat migrants have illegally crossed the English Channel this year.
The survey also found that 45 per cent of voters correctly believe that non-EU migration has increased since Brexit, compared to just 12 per cent who believe that it fell. In fact, over the past year, the UK saw the highest level of net immigration in recorded history, driven mostly by increases in the number of non-EU migrants arriving in the country. This increase came as a result of former Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s post-Brexit points-based immigration.
Out of the 1.1 million visas granted to foreigners over the past year, 704,000 were issued to non-EU nationals, increasing from 379,000 the previous year.
The poll from Redfield & Wilton Strategies also showed that some 40 per cent of people incorrectly believe that immigration from the EU has risen since Brexit, compared to just 19 per cent who correctly believed that it is lower now. According to the Migration Observatory, immigration has fallen by 72 per cent from the bloc over the past six years. However, the fact that such a proportion of people believe that it is higher will likely still prove damaging to the government.
Commenting on the findings of the survey, polling expert Professor Sir John Curtice said: “Already somewhat sceptical, voters have seemingly become decidedly doubtful about whether the promise that Brexit would serve to reduce immigration has been delivered.
“It looks as though the repeated sight of potential asylum seekers crossing the Channel in small boats is serving to reinforce the impression to voters that leaving the EU has not succeeded in reducing the level of immigration.
“There would therefore seem every reason for the Government that implemented Brexit to want to reduce the flow.”
The survey found that overall, fifty-six per cent of Britons would vote to rejoin the European Union. Yet, according to the polling agency, this had little to do with people’s feelings on immigration, with approximately four in five people who voted for Brexit that believe legal or illegal migration has increased would still vote to leave the bloc.
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