Poll reveals majority support for new migrant policy

HALF of the public and two-thirds (67 per cent) of the 2024 voters who elected Labour to power support the government's new migrant policy, a new poll has revealed.

The poll conducted by Focaldata for the British Future think tank revealed that only 20 per cent of the population disapprove of the government's initial policy, which entails scrapping the Rwanda scheme to redirect funds towards a new Border Security Command.

Furthermore, among people who did not vote for Keir Starmer's party, 44 per cent support the policy compared to 24 per cent who oppose it.

According to the report, prime minister Keir Starmer is viewed more positively on immigration than other major party leaders, though he still needs to gain more support from voters.

Among those who voted for Labour, 71 per cent trust Starmer on immigration. Overall, 35 per cent of the public trust him on this issue, while 37 per cent do not. He is ahead of former prime minister Rishi Sunak, Nigel Farage and Ed Davey.

Sunder Katwala, director of British Future, said, “This new research finds the public prefers a more Starmerite approach to immigration – built on control, competence and compassion – to the storm and fury of Farage. The new prime minister has a mandate to find practical solutions to Britain’s problems. So he was right to scrap the Rwanda scheme, an expensive and unethical gimmick that only a minority of voters will miss.

“Getting the system working again would be a strong start. That means processing claims, getting people out of expensive hotels and returning those whose claims fail, where it’s safe to do so. But there’s more permission than they think to go further, too – boosting integration, increasing transparency and looking at better ways to respond to small boat arrivals.

“This evidence shows Starmer can unlock public permission and support for a fairer and more effective approach.”

The poll indicated that Labour's immigration policies did not deter most voters, with only 24 per cent expressing that these policies made them less likely to vote for the party. Also, 19 per cent of the respondents found Labour's stance more appealing, while 44 per cent said it had no impact on their voting decision.

Meanwhile, 30 per cent of respondents said that the Tories' immigration policies made them less inclined to vote for them, while 16 per cent said it made them more likely to support the Tories.

According to the survey, two-thirds of the population support processing the asylum applications of those who have arrived in the UK, with 10 per cent in disapproval. This initiative addresses the backlog created by the previous government's Illegal Migration Act, which had halted the processing of asylum claims for those arriving via small boats.

Similarly, 59 per cent approve of the proposal to clear the asylum backlog using hotel accommodations and additional caseworkers. A significant 65 per cent of the public supports the establishment of a 1,000-strong returns and enforcement unit to expedite asylum removals to safe countries.

There is also strong support (64 per cent) for negotiating new returns arrangements with safe countries to facilitate more safe returns.

The poll revealed that half of the public and 62 per cent of Labour's 2024 voters, approve of a new humanitarian visa approach for addressing the small boats issue, allowing up to 40,000 people with strong asylum claims or UK links to safely claim asylum in Britain, which aims to undermine the operations of people smugglers.

Six in ten respondents (62 per cent), who participated in the survey, support greater transparency in immigration policy through an annual migration plan presented to Parliament, akin to the budget, with parliamentary debate and voting.

Additionally, 62 per cent of respondents endorse enhanced efforts to improve integration through improved access to English language learning, aiming for all UK residents to be fluent in English by 2035.