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:

Do you agree or disagree with the Home Secretary, Suella Braverman, statement that facing discrimination for being gay should not be considered grounds for asylum?

• 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:

Do you agree or disagree with the Home Secretary, Suella Braverman, that facing discrimination for being a woman should not be considered grounds for asylum?

• 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:

“Multiculturalism” is defined as: the presence of, or support for the presence of, several distinct cultural or ethnic groups within a society. Do you think multiculturalism is a “misguided dogma”?

• 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