Immigration: Division and Confusion
The UK Home Secretary, Suella Braverman, recently criticised the UN’s 1952 Asylum Convention for it’s perceived leniency towards migrants and refugees in a speech at the American Enterprise Institute in Washington. Find Out Now conducted a nationally representative poll of 1,009 GB adults to assess public sentiments on Braverman’s views.
Immigration Levels: A Divisive Issue
Braverman boldly argued that Immigration in Britain is too high, and the numbers seem to suggest that her sentiment resonates with a significant portion of the British public:
Do you agree or disagree with the following statement, “Immigration in Britain is too high”?
- Strongly agree: 41%
- Somewhat agree: 16%
- Neither agree nor disagree: 15%
- Somewhat disagree: 9%
- Strongly disagree: 10%
LGBTQ+ Based Asylum Criteria
Braverman’s stance on discrimination against LGBTQ+ individuals as grounds for asylum drew mixed responses:
- Strongly agree: 26%
- Somewhat agree: 11%
- Neither agree nor disagree: 17%
- Somewhat disagree: 11%
- Strongly disagree: 23%
There’s no clear consensus among our panel, with strong agreement and disagreement almost evenly matched.
Gender Based Asylum Criteria
Braverman’s comments on gender-based discrimination as grounds for asylum also generated a variety of opinions:
- Strongly agree: 24%
- Somewhat agree: 12%
- Neither agree nor disagree: 17%
- Somewhat disagree: 12%
- Strongly disagree: 24%
Once again, the polling data underscores the divisive nature of this issue.
Multiculturalism: A Term Under Scrutiny
Braverman labelled multiculturalism as a “misguided dogma,” but the public seems to have reservations:
- Yes: 25%
- No: 26%
- I don’t know: 38%
These results highlight the uncertainty surrounding the concept of multiculturalism. Many respondents aren’t ready to give it a thumbs-up or down, suggesting that there is a great deal of confusion over the term.
About The Survey
Find Out Now interviewed 2,226 GB adults from 2023-09-27 to 2023-09-28, and produced a sample of 1,009 respondents which is nationally representative by: Gender, Age, Social Class, Region, Brexit Vote, and 2019 General Election. Prefer not to say answers are included in this process to help limit the effects of non-response bias on representation.
Find Out Now are members of the British Polling Council and Market Research Society Company Partners, and abide by their rules.
Photo by Metin Ozer on Unsplash