LONDON (Reuters) – For the first time since 2016 – when Britain voted to leave the European Union – immigration tops the list of issues Britons consider most important following anti-Muslim and anti-migrant riots this month, pollster Ipsos said on Friday.
Just over a third of Britons (34 percent) cited immigration as their biggest problem, ahead of healthcare (30 percent), the economy (29 percent), crime (25 percent) and inflation (20 percent), according to the August edition of the monthly Ipsos Issues Index.
For 11 percent of respondents, race relations were the most important issue.
Net migration to the UK – the difference between people moving into the country and those leaving – reached a record high of 764,000 in 2022. It fell slightly to 685,000 the following year.
Public concerns about immigration have grown even greater following riots in many cities this month in which anti-immigration protesters attacked hotels housing asylum seekers and mosques, the polling institute said.
“The impact of recent unrest across the UK is evident in this month’s data… concerns about crime and race relations have also reached new highs,” said Ipsos researcher Mike Clemence.
The unrest died down after several people were arrested and the perpetrators were promptly detained. Many people also took part in demonstrations against racism.
The Ipsos poll echoes another poll published last week by YouGov, which also showed immigration topped the list of most important national issues for the first time since 2016, when immigration concerns were a key reason for Britain’s decision to leave the European Union.
Ipsos surveyed 1,010 adults from August 7 to 13, while YouGov surveyed 2,163 adults from August 5 to 6.
(Reporting by Sachin Ravikumar, editing by Paul Sandle and Angus MacSwan)
