A June 2026 poll for The Independent reported substantial dissatisfaction with how immigration has been managed since Brexit. The result is politically notable, but it should be read as a snapshot of opinion rather than evidence that any single policy has objectively “worked” or “failed”.
What the poll found
The survey reported that 62% of respondents believed immigration had been managed worse since the UK left the European Union, while 8% thought it had improved. It also found majority support among respondents for restoring some form of freedom of movement.
Polling figures depend on question wording, sampling and timing. They are useful for understanding public mood, but they should not be confused with administrative migration statistics or economic evidence.
Why the result matters
Brexit changed the legal framework governing movement between the UK and EU. At the same time, migration from outside the EU, labour shortages, asylum policy and visa rules have continued to shape the wider debate. Public attitudes therefore reflect several overlapping issues rather than one simple post-Brexit effect.
The poll is most useful as evidence of political dissatisfaction and continuing uncertainty over what voters want the UK’s future migration relationship with Europe to look like.
