More than eight in ten British voters believe the Labour government is not doing enough to stop illegal immigration, according to a new poll that underscores the political pressure facing Prime Minister Andy Burnham just months into his tenure.
The Find Out Now survey of more than 10,000 voters, conducted for the Mail on Sunday, found that 82 percent of respondents think the government should do more to prevent migrants from reaching English shores on smuggler-operated boats. Only five percent disagreed, with the remainder undecided or holding no opinion.
The findings come as Burnham has argued that more areas of Britain need to “play their part” in hosting asylum seekers, specifically calling on middle-class neighbourhoods to accept migrants into their communities. That proposal is deeply unpopular, with 57 percent of voters opposed to dispersing migrants more widely across the country and just 15 percent in favour, according to the poll.
Even in liberal-leaning, wealthier areas that typically back pro-migration parties, only 51 percent agreed that migrants should be more evenly spread throughout the UK.
Village Revolt Over Migrant Camp
One community at the centre of the controversy is Piddington, a small Oxfordshire village of just 314 residents, which is set to house roughly 1,250 mostly military-age male migrants in a camp just outside town. Outraged by the plan, the village has backed holding a referendum on seceding from the United Kingdom.
The dispersal strategy was publicly framed as a fix for the previous Conservative government’s policy of housing asylum seekers in taxpayer-funded hotels across the country. That scheme also sparked protests outside hotels, some of which had housed migrants who subsequently sexually assaulted residents, including underage girls.
Reform UK’s Alternative Approach
By contrast, Nigel Farage’s Reform UK party has proposed a radically different course: housing asylum seekers who arrive illegally in third-party nations such as Albania or Rwanda. The party would also deport all illegal immigrants currently in the UK, estimated to be at least one million people.
Rather than dispersing migrants evenly, Reform has suggested establishing deportation hubs specifically in areas of Britain that voted for the Green Party, which it describes as open-borders supporters.
To stop Channel crossings altogether, Farage has said he would order the Royal Navy to police the waterway and send people-smuggling boats directly back to French beaches. That approach contrasts with current protocol, which involves picking up migrants mid-Channel and bringing them ashore in the UK, where they can claim asylum.
Reform would also cut the “pull factor” for potential illegal migrants by barring foreigners from government-subsidised housing and from Britain’s universal credit welfare system, from which migrants are currently drawing more than £1 billion per month, according to the party.
Political Fallout
The polling paints a challenging picture for Burnham, who took office amid high expectations but now faces a public that is broadly dissatisfied with his government’s handling of migration. With 82 percent demanding stronger action, the pressure on Downing Street is likely to intensify as the issue remains at the top of the national agenda.
The survey’s findings are particularly striking given that they show opposition to dispersal is not confined to traditionally conservative areas but extends even into affluent, liberal constituencies — the very places Burnham has asked to take in more asylum seekers.
As the government weighs its next steps, the gap between public opinion and current policy appears to be widening, and the political consequences could be significant for a prime minister still early in his term.
Source: www.breitbart.com — https://www.breitbart.com/europe/2026/08/16/over-8-in-10-british-voters-think-govt-not-doing-enough-to-stop-illegal-immigration/