Public attitudes towards immigration and cohesion Kully Kaur-Ballagan

Source: Ipsos MORI Political Monitor Long Term Trends, Base c.1,000 British adults aged 18+ % important issue Defence/Foreign Policy/ Terrorism NHS Crime Education/Schools Environment Immigration/asylum Race Relations Q. What would you say is the most important issue facing Britain today? Q. What do you see as other important issues facing Britain today? Concerns over immigration show upward trend Annual Monthly

Britons are more worried about immigration control than some European neighbours Germany Most cause for concern Spain France United Kingdom Italy USA QWhich three of the following eleven topics do you find the most worrying in your country? – Immigration control Total Base: c.1,000 interviews in each countrySource: Ipsos MORI International Social Trends Monitor, Nov 2006

Areas with little or more recent migration see it as more of a problem Not a problem at all A fairly big problem A very big problem Not a very big problem QOverall how much of a problem, if at all, do you think is immigration in Britain at the moment? East Midlands Eastern London North East North West Scotland South East South West Wales West Midlands Yorkshire & Humberside Total Base: (2,012) NB Small bases for some regions so data needs to be interpreted with caution/UK Border Agency

On balance, more people think immigration is bad than good for Britain QHow much do you agree or disagree with the following statement? ‘Immigration is generally good for Britain’ Base: c1,000 GB adults aged 16+/ UK Border Agency Strongly agree Strongly disagree Neither/norTend to disagree Tend to agree Don’t know/ refused/no opinion June 07 Dec 06 32% agree 48% disagree 34% agree 45% disagree

And fewer people think that immigrants have a good influence May 2006 % Don't know % Fairly good% Very good % Very bad % Fairly bad October 2007 QOverall, would you say immigrants are having a good or bad influence on the way things are going in Great Britain? Base: 1,013 British adults 18+, 31st Oct - 1st Nov 2007/The Sun 43% good 48% bad 34% good 52% bad

So what factors underlie these views?

Dissatisfaction with government remains high Very satisfied Very dissatisfied Neither/norFairly dissatisfied Fairly satisfied QOverall, how satisfied or dissatisfied are you with the way the government is dealing with immigration and asylum? Don’t know/ refused/no opinion June 07Dec 06 Base All: Wave 1 (1,001); Wave 2 (1,011)/UK Border Agency

% Agree % Disagree Base c1,000 GB adults aged 16+ years, fieldwork May-June 2007/UK Border Agency QWhat extent, if at all, do you agree or disagree with each statement? There are too many immigrants in Britain Immigration is good for the economy Immigration increases crime rates in Britain We need more immigrants to do the jobs British people don’t want Too many immigrants and not convinced of economic benefits

Even though immigrants are seen as hardworking October 07 May 06 QGenerally, do you think immigrants work harder than people born here, not as hard, or is there no difference? Harder Not as hard Not much difference Don’t know Harder Not as hard Not much difference Base: 1,013 British adults 18+, 31st Oct - 1st Nov 2007/The Sun

More convinced about the diversity it brings but they should ‘abide by our rules’ % Agree % Disagree QWhat extent, if at all, do you agree or disagree with each statement? People who settle in this country should have citizenship lessons about the British way of life It is a good thing that Britain is a multicultural society Immigrants make Britain more open to new ideas and cultures Immigrants should be made to learn English Base c1,000 GB adults aged 16+ years, fieldwork May-June 2007/UK Border Agency

Three-quarters think there is a great deal or fair amount of tension A great deal Don’t know 2% Not very much A fair amount None at all Q How much tension, if any, do you think there is in Britain between people of different races and nationalities? Base: 1,000 British adults, 11 th -13 th April 2008/BBC News

National vs local perceptions

Most see immigration as a problem at the national level Not a problem at all Don’t know/ no opinion A fairly big problem A very big problem Not a very big problem QOverall how much of a problem, if at all, do you think is immigration in Britain at the moment? June 07 Base All: Wave 1 (1,001); Wave 2 (1,011)/ UK Border Agency Dec 06 76% a problem 74% a problem

Huge difference in perceptions at local level - more so than other public services Not a problem at all Don’t know/ no opinion A fairly big problem A very big problem Not a very big problem QHow much of a problem, if at all, is it in your local area? June 07 Base All: Wave 1 (1,001); Wave 2 (1,011)/UK Border Agency Dec 06 18% a problem 21% a problem

But people are noticing differences in their local area Q My area doesn’t feel like Britain any more because of immigration Base: 1,000 British adults, 11 th -13 th April 2008/BBC News Agree Disagree

Whereas the picture nationally remains fairly stable Q Parts of this country don’t feel like Britain any more because of immigration Base: 1,000 British adults, 11 th -13 th April 2008/BBC News Agree Disagree Agree Disagree

Addressing issues around access to public services

Lack of effective controls/ policies Community tension/lack of integration Too many immigrants/ asylum seekers Base: All who see immigration as a very or fairly big problem in Britain: Wave 1(764); Wave 2 (759)/UK Border Agency QYou said that immigration in Britain is a very big/fairly big problem in Britain. Why do you say that? Impact on public services biggest concern but also issues around labour market and overall numbers Abuse of/burden on public services Pressure on jobs/emp’t Wave 2 Wave 1 General threat to way of life Crime/ASB Other

QHow confident are you that public services like education and healthcare in your local area will be able to cope with the increasing population? Only one in five think that local public services will cope with population increase Very confident Fairly confident Don’t know (3%) Not very confident Not at all confident 77% 20% Base: 503 British adults 18+, 31st Oct - 1st Nov 2007/The Sun

QHow confident are you that public services like education and healthcare in Britain will be able to cope with the increasing population? And fewer still in Britain as a whole Very confident Fairly confident Don’t know (3%) Not very confident Not at all confident 82% 15% Base: 510 British adults 18+, 31st Oct - 1st Nov 2007/ The Sun

Neither nor Those living in areas with new migration most likely to think others get priority over services Total Far right target group A8 impact group Non-deprived BMEs BME General Tend to disagree Don’t know Strongly disagree Strongly agree Tend to agree Base: All (1,014), December 2006 – January 2007/Commission on Integration and Cohesion QTo what extent do you agree or disagree that some groups of people in Britain get unfair priority when it comes to public services, like housing, health services and schools?

% Neither/ nor Priority over services in local area – less of an issue in than in Britain Total Far right target group A8 impact group Non-deprived BMEs BME General % Tend to disagree % Don’t know % Strongly disagree % Strongly agree % Tend to agree QTo what extent do you agree or disagree that other people in this local area seem to get unfair priority over you when it comes to public services, like housing, health services and schools? Base: All (1,014), December 2006 – January 2007/Commission on Integration and Cohesion

And in London, which is generally more positive about immigration…

Ethnic Geographic Polarisation in Inner/Outer London The higher the ethnic polarisation score of an area the more concentrated the ethnic communities are within it, the lower the score the more dispersed they are.

The more different people who live nearby the lower the level of satisfaction with the area – making it tougher for public service providers

Conclusions

 Immigration is one of the key issues facing Britain –Seen as much bigger problem nationally than locally, although in some areas people are noticing the changes  Immigration impacts on society (access to services, employment) and people are not convinced by its benefits  Little confidence in government and public service providers to deal with increasing numbers  In terms of impact on social cohesion - need to tackle concerns over immigration – and how this is managed at the local level – tough because migration discussed very much in national terms

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