Immigration Becomes Top Concern for Britons, Ipsos Poll Reveals

For the first time since 2016, immigration has emerged as the most significant issue for Britons, Arab News reported yesterday citing the latest Ipsos poll. The survey, conducted from August 7-13 with 1,010 adults, found that 34 percent of respondents identified immigration as the top concern. This surpasses health care, which was named by 30 percent, the economy at 29 percent, crime at 25 percent, and inflation at 20 percent.

The increase in immigration concerns follows recent riots across the UK, where anti-immigration demonstrators targeted hotels housing asylum-seekers and mosques. The unrest has contributed to a rise in public anxiety, with 11 percent of those polled citing race relations as their primary issue.

Net migration to the UK reached a record high of 764,000 in 2022, though it decreased slightly to 685,000 in 2023. The Ipsos data reflects a significant shift in public sentiment, mirroring findings from a YouGov poll released the previous week, which also indicated immigration as the leading national issue.

The Ipsos Issues Index underscores the growing importance of immigration in public discourse, marking a notable change since the Brexit referendum in 2016, when immigration was a key factor in the vote to leave the European Union.