Overview
- A YouGov poll of 2,053 adults conducted on June 8–9 found 43% of Britons now say migration has been "mostly bad," up from 33% in 2016 while the share saying it is "both good and bad" fell to 29%.
- The rise in negative views is visible across voter groups and is notable among people who voted Remain in 2016, where negativity rose from 12% to 22% according to the poll.
- The survey shows clear public appetite for stricter admission tests, with more than 90% saying a criminal record for major or violent crime should count against an economic migrant and about 80% citing skills, English proficiency or education as important factors.
- Official Home Office figures cited in reporting say roughly 39,000 people crossed in small boats in the year to March 2026 and about 46,497 people entered by irregular routes in the year to December 2025, with small boats making up almost 90% of detected unauthorised entries.
- The poll also finds substantial support for country-specific limits on migration and the wider context shows legal net migration rose after 2016 and peaked at about 606,000 in the year to December 2022, a mix that is likely to increase political pressure on ministers to tighten border and admission policies.