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After the fall: Why hasn’t falling immigration changes public attitudes?

‘After the fall: Why hasn’t falling immigration changes public attitudes?’ is the 2026 report from the British Future Immigration Attitudes Tracker, which has followed public attitudes to immigration for over a decade since 2015.

The new research reveals a major gap between public perception and reality as net migration drops to the lowest level in decades.

The report also examines:

  • Public perceptions of immigration: has the public noticed falling net migration? Do people think it will fall or increase by next year? Which flows do people think make up most immigration to the UK?
  • Public satisfaction with the government’s handling of immigration.
  • Public trust in the main political parties on immigration, and trust in leading politicians on the issue.
  • Differences in attitudes between Labour, Conservative, Lib Dem and Reform UK voters and what that means for the politics of immigration.
  • Do people want immigration numbers to reduce, increase or stay the same?
  • Attitudes to migration to fill different roles: would people cut the numbers of doctors, care workers, lorry drivers or hospitality staff coming to the UK?
  • Attitudes to asylum, Channel crossings and legal routes.
  • Attitudes to settlement and how long migrants should have to wait before they can access Indefinite Leave to Remain and citizenship.

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