As the new Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill returns to Parliament today, a new poll reveals that fewer than 1 in 10 people agree with Kemi Badenoch’s new headline proposal that migrants should have to wait 15 years before they can become citizens.
The Focaldata survey finds more than half the public (56%) think citizenship should be available after 5 years or less.
A further 16% think people should be able to apply for citizenship after ten years, while just 8% support the 15-year threshold proposed by the Conservative Party leader. A 9% group think migrants should never be able to become British.
Just 12% of Conservative voters agree with Badenoch’s 15-year citizenship threshold while half (50%) think citizenship should be available after 5 years or less. Seven in ten Labour voters (69%) think people should wait 5 years or less to apply for citizenship, along with three-quarters (73%) of Lib Dems. Reform voters look very different to the rest of the public, with a quarter (23%) saying migrants should never be allowed to become British, 15% supporting the 15-year threshold and 25% setting the bar at ten years.
Fewer than one in five Brits (17%) think the government should discourage people from becoming British citizens. More than twice as many (43%) feel that if someone moves to Britain and intends to stay here permanently, the government should encourage them to apply for citizenship. Some 47% of Conservative voters feel the government should encourage migrants to apply for citizenship rather than discourage it (23%); while Labour voters are more strongly in favour of encouraging migrants to become British citizens, by 51% to 11%.
Sunder Katwala, Director of British Future, said:
“Kemi Badenoch has said that she thinks integration and patriotism are important, so it’s baffling that her first big proposal is to make it harder to become British. That doesn’t chime with public opinion, as most people like it when migrants who are living here commit to Britain and become citizens.
“There are big choices to be made about immigration numbers and who can get a visa. But it’s hard to see whether this policy would have any impact on numbers – while it’s clear to see it would make integration here in Britain more difficult.”
The survey also asked about refugees being able to apply to become citizens. A plurality (44%) agrees that “If someone was granted refugee status and lived legally in Britain for six years, they should be able to apply to become a British citizen, regardless of how they arrived in the UK to claim asylum,” while a third (33%) disagree. Six in ten Labour voters (62%) and Lib Dems (60%) are supportive of refugees being able to become citizens, regardless of how they arrived in the UK, while 20% of Labour voters disagree. Conservatives are split, with 40% agreeing that refugees should be able to apply to become a British citizen, regardless of how they arrived in the UK, while 42% disagree. Reform voters respond quite differently, with 68% disagreeing with the statement.
;
