Public approves of ‘Starmerite’ approach to immigration, poll suggests

A survey carried out for the British Future think tank found half of respondents would approve of a new humanitarian visa for people with a strong asylum claim or links to the UK, which could enable up to 40,000 arrivals each year.

It also found 62% of respondents would support greater integration for asylum seekers, aimed at improving English language skills so everyone in the country is fluent by 2035.

It comes after four migrants died trying to cross the English Channel off the coast of Boulogne-sur-Mer, France, on Friday after their boat capsized.

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper described the deaths as “truly awful” and said her department is “accelerating action” to tackle paid-for Channel crossings into the UK.

A survey of 2,502 adults between July 5 and July 8 – after the General Election – found half the public would “approve of a new approach to the small boats issue, through a new humanitarian visa allowing a capped number of 40,000 people with a strong asylum claim or links to the UK to come safely to Britain to claim asylum – undermining the business model of people smugglers”.

Only 16% disapproved, according to the polling by Focaldata for British Future.

Around 62% of respondents said they would support Parliament debating an annual migration plan in a process similar to the yearly Budget.

Two-thirds of respondents said the Government should process the applications of people who have arrived in the UK seeking asylum, to decide if they are entitled to stay here as refugees or not.

The previous Tory government passed the Illegal Migration Act, which the Home Office at the time claimed would “put a stop to illegal migration into the UK by removing the incentive to make dangerous small boat crossings”, by enabling enforcement teams to detain and “promptly” remove some migrants.

The number of Channel crossings so far this year is estimated to have topped the 14,000 mark on Tuesday last week, according to Home Office figures.

According to the French coastguard, 63 migrants were rescued in an operation involving four ships and one helicopter on Friday, and a further four people were taken by a medical team but could not be saved.

Since he became Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer has said he will scrap the plan to send some asylum seekers who arrive in the UK on small boats to Rwanda, instead tasking a Border Security Command with “smashing the gangs” which promise to bring people across the Channel for a fee.

Sir Keir said he was “not prepared to continue with gimmicks”.

British Future director Sunder Katwala said: “This new research finds the public prefers a more Starmerite approach to immigration – built on control, competence and compassion – to the storm and fury of (Reform UK leader Nigel) Farage.

“The new PM has a mandate to find practical solutions to Britain’s problems, so he was right to scrap the Rwanda scheme, an expensive and unethical gimmick that only a minority of voters will miss.

“Getting the system working again would be a strong start.

“That means processing claims, getting people out of expensive hotels and returning those whose claims fail, where it’s safe to do so.

“But there’s also public permission to go further, too – boosting integration, increasing transparency and looking at better ways to respond to small boat arrivals.

“The evidence shows Starmer can unlock public support for a fairer and more effective approach.”

Following the incident near Boulogne-sur-Mer, Ms Cooper wrote on X, formerly Twitter: “Criminal gangs are making vast profit from putting lives at risk.

“We are accelerating action with international partners to pursue & bring down dangerous smuggler gangs.”

Conservative shadow home secretary James Cleverly wrote: “Reports of more deaths in the channel are a tragedy.

“As a country we must do everything in our power to stop the boats and put an end to this vile trade in human suffering.”

Green Party co-leader Adrian Ramsay called for “an alternative to people smugglers and an actual tackling of the roots of the asylum crisis”, while Mr Farage said: “Four deaths in the Channel this morning, the new Government had better start moving fast.”