Voters elect politicians. Politicians do the voters’ bidding. More people voted for Brexit in 2016. So we exited the EU.
A 2025 poll by IPSOS found 67% of Britons believe the total number of people entering the UK is too high, with 43% stating it is “much too high.”
Public concern is highest regarding those coming to the UK to seek refugee status or asylum, with 68% deeming the numbers too high.
Government response
The Illegal Migration Act was introduced in March 2023 and enacted in July 2023.
This legislation aimed to make small-boat asylum seekers inadmissible, bypass modern slavery protection, and block appeals against removal until after they’ve been removed – even, in some cases, to countries such as Rwanda.
The Rwanda Asylum Plan (Migration and Economic Development Partnership) was launched under Boris Johnson and continued by Rishi Sunak.
The plan proposed relocating those arriving via irregular routes to Rwanda, where their claims would be assessed and successful applicants could be allowed to return to the UK.
The plan was challenged legally and logistically. It was largely symbolic: the UK sent only four asylum seekers under the scheme, despite investing £700 million in it. “Stop the Boats” stopped nothing.
Labour has come up with a few measures including centralised enforcement unit coordinating MI5, Border Force and the National Crime Agency.
New legislation has been introduced adding new immigration offences and restoring asylum claim access. A white paper tightens visa rules and a bilateral deal with France has created a “one in, one out” policy. We will also deport foreign criminals
The British public expects more
The issue of illegal immigration, especially by economic migrants entering Britain on small boats, is a source of endless frustration for the British public.
The reason? Unfairness. It’s just not fair that our taxes (£8m a day) go on four-star hotels for young men (yes, more than 90% of these illegal entrants are men aged 18 to 40) who come to the UK illegally and then often work illegally.
It seems a very simple problem to solve, for example: deploy the Royal Navy to intercept the vessels and tow them back to France. Done and dusted. Easy.
But simple remedies like this face endless frustration from human rights lawyers citing sections of the European Convention on Human Rights, to which Britain is a signatory.
After a Tory government which tried but dismally failed to solve this problem, we now see a Labour administration failing similarly.
The truth is this: the taxpaying British public has had enough. It’s now time to tackle this problem once and for all.
