6 August, 2019
1. Seven reputable polls published since Spring 2018 enable Migration Watch UK to assert that 30 million adults in the UK support our mission to reduce immigration.
2. YouGov (April 2018) – 1,668 surveyed
Question: Generally speaking, do you think the level of immigration into Britain over the last ten years has been too high, too low or about right?
3. Ipsos Mori (May 2018) – 1,067 surveyed
Question: Do you think the number of immigrants coming to Britain nowadays should be increased a lot, increased a little, remain the same as it is, reduced a little, or reduced a lot?
4. Pew (June 2018) – 1,005 surveyed
Question: In your opinion, should we allow more immigrants to move to our country, fewer immigrants, or about the same as we do now?
5. Deltapoll (June 2018) – 2,063 surveyed
Question: In the year to September 2017, immigration into the UK stood at 244,000 people. After Brexit, the government has set a target of reducing immigration to "tens of thousands" per year. Do you think that this ambition is [right or wrong]...?
6. Hanbury Strategy (November 2018) – 10,025 surveyed
Question: To what extent do you support reducing levels of immigration to the UK?
7. Ipsos Mori (January 2019) – 2,520 surveyed
Question: Do you think the number of immigrants coming to Britain nowadays should be increased a lot, increased a little, remain the same as it is, reduced a little, or reduced a lot?
8. ICM (June 2019) – 2,016 surveyed
Question: In general, do you think the amount of immigration into the UK should [be decreased/increased]?
9. According to the ONS, the UK adult population in 2018 stood at 52.4 million.
Applying the percentages of those who think immigration has been too high or wish to see it reduced to the adult population, we arrive at the following estimates of the numbers involved (to the nearest 50,000):
10. The average of these figures indicates that 29,600,000 UK adults want to see reductions in immigration.
11. Considering only the three polls (by YouGov and Ipsos Mori) which ask about the degree of reduction people wish to see, an average of 30,900,000 people want a reduction of which 18,550,000 (60%) think immigration has been much too high and/or want to see it reduced a lot.
12. In contrast, applying the same calculation as in para.9 to those who think immigration has been too low and/or want to see it increased, we arrive at the following estimates (the Deltapoll and Hanbury Strategy surveys are not applicable here because they only address reductions, not increases):
13. The average of these figures indicates that 5,250,000 UK adults want to see increases in immigration – significantly less than the 8.45million who are themselves foreign born. So over five times as many people want a reduction in immigration as want an increase.
14. If a different calculation is used and the above survey findings are weighted according to the size of their sample bases, it can be estimated that an average of 30,350,000 people (58% of the total population) want reductions in immigration.
15. Doing the same calculation for those who want increases, an estimated 5,200,000 people (only 10% of the total adult population) want more immigration.
Conclusion
16. There can be no doubt that public opinion is very strong on the issue of immigration. Boris Johnson’s Government should take heed of popular disaffection with the current scale of inflows and take whatever measures are necessary to bring about substantive reductions. Immigration policy currently reflects a serious democratic deficit and this must be addressed if public faith in the political system is to be restored.