New net migration statistics just published will have offered little reassurance to those voters in the United Kingdom who list immigration alongside the NHS and the economy as their top concerns.
There is little public trust in the ability of the government to manage migration in a way that works for everyone in Britain, with the ‘Leave’ vote exemplifying this view. The net migration target has not helped; the government has missed this headline indicator so badly that it has added to public concerns. Our new report What Next After Brexit? Immigration and integration in post-referendum Britain shows that only around a third of people (37 per cent) think the government will meet this target in the next five years, even if we leave the EU.
At the same time, both businesses and public services have expressed growing frustration with the direction of policy. Employers face difficulties recruiting skilled migrants that the economy needs. There are no shortages of frustrations; what is missing are workable policy solutions that can secure political, business and public support.
Brexit now offers a window of opportunity for comprehensive immigration reform. It has the potential to create the political space for the government to set in place the immigration system that this country needs. But, given the salience of immigration as an issue of public concern, there is no way that reforms can be won without getting public support for them. Today’s report argues that the public need to be involved in shaping future policy decisions, through a ‘national conversation’ on immigration.
Such a national conversation would involve the government listening to its citizens. Of course, there are many examples of public engagement in policy decisions, most of them focusing on local issues: plans to change parking regulations, school place allocation or hospital services, for instance, usually involve public consultations. While it is common for local public services to consult the public about policy changes, national governments do so less frequently, both in the UK and elsewhere. However, the Canadian government has undertaken a number of public consultations of the future of immigration policy, most recently this July.
Canada’s national conversation on immigration seeks the opinions of its citizens on who to admit to Canada and in what numbers, as well as how to make immigration work for the economy. Its government has organised public discussions across the country, an online survey, opinion polling, as well as interviews with local business and community leaders.
The UK government could learn from Canada’s experience and organise a national conversation in this country – ones that takes place in all parts of the UK, at least in every local authority.
Over the last four years researching public attitudes to immigration around the country, British Future has found that most people can and will engage constructively with this issue. What they seldom get is a chance to discuss their views openly and to talk to decision-makers about migration. Many people hold the view that politicians want to shut down the debate about migration, with the London-based elite unwilling to hear and address the public concerns. A national conversation will address this issue head-on.
There will be some, on both side of the immigration debate, who will cry foul at the first mention of such an idea, that such a conversation will give undue weight to those that shout the loudest. Yet that is precisely the debate we have at the moment, a shouting match from two polarised sides of a debate that fails to reflect the more balanced views held by the majority of the public.
Giving the unheard majority a chance to have their say on an issue of the highest importance, on which the public feels ignored, will help restore trust in the system. This is the direction we need to take now, after the referendum.
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Jill Rutter is director of strategy and relationships at British Future. She tweets @jillyrutter
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