Slash UK immigration-Britons reveal in research

United Kingdom, 17th October: Britons have expressed concerns over increasing levels of immigration in the UK, findings of a recent immigration survey by Oxford University academics indicates.

The Migration Observatory of Oxford University in this latest research states that around fifty percent of Britons want significant cuts in immigration levels in the UK and majority favor curbs on undocumented immigration in the nation.

Britons want a control on UK immigration—The survey involved around 1,000 Britons who were very burdened by the arrival of immigrants possessing low skills. Around 64 percent of the survey respondents wanted a reduction in the immigration numbers.

Majority of low-skilled immigrants coming to the UK hail from the European Union. And this renders the UK government almost powerless since such immigrants enjoy right to free movement.

Around 56 percent of Britons also want a reduction in the number of asylum seekers while the number of UK-born people wanting a cut in extended family members in the UK is said to be 58 percent, the survey highlights.

However, Britons seemed quite less concerned with the arrival of high-skilled immigrants into the nation. International students comprise around two-fifths of total immigrants coming to the UK each year and the percentage of Britons wanting a control on foreign students in the UK is said to be 32 percent.

Meanwhile, the number of survey respondents wanting strict UK immigration measures for curbing immediate family members and high-skilled immigrant workers is said to be 41 percent and 32 percent respectively.

Britons view different immigrant groups differently--The reason why the UK government has almost nil control for restricting asylum seekers in the UK is due to certain international agreements. Nonetheless, the number of asylum seeking applications have registered a record decline in the last twenty years period.

A point worth notable is that while Britons have not expressed any concern for cutting high skilled immigration or international student immigrants coming to the UK.

This is due to the fact that Britons view different immigrant groups in the UK quite differently, asserts lead author of the report, Dr. Scott Blinder.

The Coalition government has been, on the contrary, has been focusing on restricting these two UK immigration categories by introducing tougher UK visa norms in the recent times. So, its the undocumented immigrants, asylum seekers and low skilled immigrants that the Britons wants to be reduced, summarized Dr. Blinder.