A majority of the British public now hold positive views about the impact of immigration on the UK, despite intense political rhetoric surrounding the issue, according to an academic survey.
The European Social Survey, which has sampled attitudes every two years since 2001, said British views on immigration and its economic and cultural impact had undergone “a complete about-turn” over the past two decades, becoming significantly more favourable after 2016.
The survey asked people to rank out of 10 whether immigration was bad or good for the economy, whether cultural life was undermined or enriched, and whether it made the country a better or worse place to live, with 10 being the most positive.
The latest poll, for 2022, shows that for the first time a majority of respondents thought immigration was very positive for the UK economy (59% ranking between seven and 10), enriched the country’s cultural life (58%), and made the country a better place to live (56%).
In 2002 just 17% were very positive about the economic benefits, 33% thought it was culturally enriching, and 20% thought it made the UK a better place to live (2016: 44%, 46% and 39%).
Although the government has pledged to reduce immigration, and MPs regularly claim curbing the net inflow of migrants is a critical issue for UK voters, the survey suggests public attitudes have evolved significantly in recent years and are far more positive than politicians assume.
“It seems like the issue of immigration is likely to remain on the front pages for some time and could well become a key battleground at the next general election,” said Alun Humphrey, of the National Centre for Social Research, who helped coordinate the survey. “However, it is clear people in Britain have become much more positive in their attitudes to immigration and on balance now see it in a positive light.”
In May this year the prime minister, Rishi Sunak, promised to bring down migration numbers after coming under fierce criticism from Tory backbench MPs when the latest official figures for 2022 showed overall migration at record highs.
In 2002 fewer than one in 10 respondents believed the UK should admit “many” immigrants of a “different race or ethnic group to the majority”; by 2022 this had increased to more than a third (34%). The proportion believing no immigrants in this category should be allowed to enter the UK fell from 15% to 3% over the same period.
There has been an increase in numbers of Labour and Conservative supporters holding favourable views on immigration, though it was more pronounced among Labour voters.
The UK element of the European Social Survey conducted face-to-face interviews with 1,149 people between August 2021 and September 2022.
