Nearly half of voters support ending immigration and deporting large numbers of people who have arrived in the UK in recent years, a new poll has shown.
The YouGov survey found that 45 per cent of Brits backed a scenario where no new migrants were admitted and large numbers of recent arrivals were required to leave.
Such a scenario was supported by 86 per cent of Reform UK voters, while it was also backed by sizeable minorities of Labour and Liberal Democrat voters (27 per cent).
But the YouGov research also suggested there was a common misconception about immigration among the British public.
Almost half of respondents (47 per cent) thought there are more migrants staying in the UK illegally rather than legally.
This view was held by nearly three-quarters (72 per cent) of those who wanted to see mass removals of migrants.
Unofficial estimates of the population of illegal migrants living in the UK range from 600,000 to 1.2million.
This is much less than the number of migrants living legally in Britain, with the 2021/22 census finding the foreign-born population of the UK was around 10.7million.
According to the Office for National Statistics, there were 948,000 immigrants to the UK in 2024. This included EU and non-EU nationals, as well as British nationals.
Meanwhile, Home Office figures showed there were 43,630 detected irregular arrivals in 2024, of which 84 per cent arrived on small boats.
Matthew Smith, YouGov’s head of data journalism, said: ‘If the British public dramatically overestimate the number of illegal migrants to the UK – to the extent that they think that most migrants are here illegally – then the possibility arises that, in reality, those who support removals don’t want to see the bulk of migrants removed.’
The YouGov survey found that those who want to see mass deportations almost universally wanted to see removals of those who come to the UK to claim benefits (91 per cent), small boat migrants (90 per cent), and those coming without work visas to work in unskilled jobs (85 per cent).
These numbers fell dramatically when it came to other groups of migrants.
Less than two-fifths (39 per cent) of those who supported mass deportations said they wanted to see large-scale removals of asylum seekers who came to the UK via the correct legal process.
Only a quarter (26 per cent) wanted to see the removal of workers with work visas coming to work in industries with skills shortages.
And only one-fifth (19-20 per cent) wanted to see migrants coming on work visas to work as doctors or nurses to be asked to leave.
The YouGov research was based on a survey of 8,055 adults in Britain between 20 May and 16 June, as well as a survey of 2,008 adults in Britain between 22 to 23 May.
