3: Immigration

The debate on immigration was at the heart of the Brexit referendum, and sparked strong emotions from both Leave and Remain voters. Those who voted for Brexit saw it as an opportunity to ‘take back control’ of the country’s borders and, by implication, lower immigration. But in the years immediately after Brexit, the country saw its highest ever levels of net migration. Did Brexit fail in its promise to voters on immigration? And why does the issue continue to be such a central concern in our politics today?

Alex Forsyth speaks to James Bowes, a data analyst at the University of Warwick, and Madeleine Sumption, Director of the Migration Observatory at the University of Oxford, about how we should assess Brexit’s success in tackling immigration.

Presenter: Alex Forsyth

Producers: Ben Carter and Mhairi MacKenzie

Editor: Richard Vadon

Studio engineer and sound mix: James Beard

Production co-ordinator: Tim Fernley