YouGov Poll Shows Hardening British Attitudes Toward Immigration

YouGov published survey data indicating a broader hardening of British public sentiment toward immigration, with 43% of respondents believing immigration has been mostly bad for the country, up from 33% in 2016. Overall, 69% of participants believe immigration levels over the last decade have been too high.

Russia, Pakistan, and Nigeria are the most unwanted immigrant groups. Romanians and Israelis tie for fifth place, with 47% of respondents desiring fewer immigrants from both nations. Regarding Romania, 18% of participants stated no immigrants should be accepted, while 29% believe they should be admitted in smaller numbers. This represents a slight decrease from 51% in 2016.

Opposition to Israeli immigration has increased by 8 points since 2016, with 24% of respondents wanting no Israeli immigration at all. Pollsters attribute this shift to the Gaza war and a decline in Israel's international image. This sentiment is notably high among supporters of the Green Party (52%) and the Labour Party (48%), groups that typically maintain more permissive views on other nationalities. Reform UK supporters hold the most restrictive views overall, with 53% opposing Israeli immigration.

Conversely, attitudes toward Polish and Turkish migrants have improved since 2016. Currently, 53% of Britons are satisfied with current Polish immigration levels or desire more.