Almost two thirds say immigration has worsened since Brexit, poll shows

A new poll on the tenth anniversary of Britain’s vote to leave the EU has shown that almost two-thirds of people believe immigration has gotten worse since Brexit.

The promise of regaining control of Britain’s immigration system was at the heart of the Brexit vote and has continued to dominate political discourse ever since.

Meanwhile, questions about freedom of movement have been a key part of talks with the bloc as Sir Keir Starmer, who resigned on Monday, seeks to “reset” relations with the European Union, while Britain seeks to deliver a “limited” youth mobility scheme that would allow young people to live and work abroad.

New survey conducted by Merlin Strategy Independent, Moreover It found that 55 per cent of people said they wanted a return to freedom of movement, while only 16 per cent said they were against it. As former Labor leader Neil Kinnock said a decade after the vote, people are “increasingly feeling the effects of Brexit on pocketbooks, wallets, jobs and opportunities”.

The survey showed 62 per cent of people believe immigration levels have worsened since Brexit, while only 8 per cent think they have improved.

Approximately 4.8 million legal immigrants arrived in the UK between 2021 and 2024; This is a significant increase over previous years; This has been influenced by plans that include refugee programs for Hong Kongers and Ukrainians fleeing conflict in their homelands, as well as a demand for workers to fill scarce occupations.

According to official figures, net migration over the period, when out-of-UK migration is taken into account, was more than 2.5 million people.

The poll, conducted between 18 and 21 June, found that 40 percent of people said they would be more likely to vote for a party that promised to rejoin the EU at the next election, while 24 percent said they would be less likely.

This was even starker among Labor voters; While 58 percent said committing to rejoin the bloc would make them more likely to vote for a party, just 8 percent said it would make them less likely to vote.

While 42 percent of Conservative voters said such a commitment would make them more likely to vote for a party, 32 percent said the opposite.

But only 27 per cent of Reform voters said a promise to rejoin the EU would make them more likely to vote for a party, while 47 per cent said it would make them less likely to vote.

The poll showed that despite public enthusiasm for the public’s commitment to rejoin the EU, many voters believe renegotiating Brexit is not a priority for the UK.

38 percent said the government should prioritize a closer relationship with the EU, while 50 percent said the government had more pressing issues to focus on right now.

Lord Kinnock said: “Ten years on from the referendum and five years on from leaving the EU altogether, people are increasingly realizing that they are feeling the impact of Brexit on pocketbooks, wallets, jobs and opportunities.”

“They also realize that the glib promises made by Farage and other Brexiteers are rubbish,” he said. Independent.

“Negotiations on returning to the EU and Single Market will be challenging and take time. But the realities of proximity to markets, the state of the UK economy and the fact that we cannot afford to be stuck as a single ‘middle country’ indefinitely will bring us closer to rejoining.”

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Meanwhile, the head of the pro-EU campaign group European Movement, Dr. Mike Galsworthy said: “Brits are finally beginning to understand the unique benefits of Free Movement. Ten years later, they recognize that it is a reciprocal arrangement and provides valuable rights and opportunities to all who sign up.

He added: “With Brexit there is an awareness that short-term talent mobility in Europe has stalled, so the government has had to look further afield to fill gaps, inviting non-EU migration who are more likely to settle and bring family members.

“This is structurally not what Brexit voters want. The proposal to reopen immigration, closer to home, especially for young people, more temporary in taste and more reciprocal in benefits, now suddenly looks more attractive.”

Tom Brufatto, chief executive of policy and research at Best for Britain, which campaigns for closer UK-EU ties, added: “This poll makes clear: it is not 2016 anymore and, as our research at Best for Britain consistently shows, the majority of voters support the renewal of the UK’s membership of the EU and will support political parties that promise to deliver.

“In the decade since the Brexit referendum, we have seen and felt the daily consequences of leaving the EU, and to truly transform the UK economy we must talk about the UK’s membership of the EU.”

Sir Keir Starmer, who resigned on Monday, had placed the “reset” of relations with the European Union at the center of his premiership.

He promised to make up for some of what he described as the “profound damage to our economy” caused by Brexit, but he also set out red lines: the UK will not rejoin the EU, the customs union or the single market, and there will be no return to freedom of movement.

Following his resignation, while Andy Burnham is expected to take his place, there are question marks about what the UK’s future relationship with the EU will be like and whether these red lines will still be valid.

Merlin Strategy spoke to 2,001 adults in Great Britain between 18-21 June.

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