Wilful Betrayal or Capacity Constrained? An analysis of the factors that have shaped national policy development on migration and integration in the UK

Migration presents us with a paradox. The vast majority of the public say that fewer migrants should be allowed to come to the UK and each new government promises tighter controls, yet a significant number of people continue to come. That divergence alone makes migration an intriguing area of public policy to explore. Of those born in the UK, 83% want fewer migrants (foreign born) to come, as do a majority of those who were themselves born abroad (Lloyd, 2010: Table 73). More than a third of the public now regularly cite race and immigration as among the most important issues facing the country, significantly higher than in most European countries and a sharp increase from a decade ago (Eurobarometer, 2009: 11; MORI, 2009). During that time, national policies on labour migration, asylum, family migrants and international students have been radically overhauled. Yet the public is evidently far from reassured.