Immigration topped the list of issues, which the citizens of Great Britain think are the most urgent to resolve, for the first time since 2016, when the people of the United Kingdom voted in the referendum for Brexit, Reuters reported, referring to a public opinion survey published today by the research and consulting company " ;Ipsos", writes BTA.
The results of the poll were released after unrest in the country this month, in which Muslims and migrants were targeted, Reuters notes.
Just over a third of Britons (34 per cent) named immigration as the country's biggest problem, followed by healthcare, named by 30 per cent of respondents, the economy (according to 29 per cent), crime (25 per cent) and inflation ( 20%), according to the August summary of the results of the thematic surveys of "Ipsos".
For 11 percent of those surveyed, race relations are the biggest problem. Net migration - the difference between the number of people entering the country and those leaving it - set a record in 2022 at 764,000 people. That figure fell slightly to 675,000 last year.
Public anxiety over immigration has grown since riots in a number of British cities this month, with anti-migrant protesters attacking hotels hosting refugees and mosques, Ipsos said.
"The impact of recent riots across Britain on this month's survey results is evident (...) Concerns about crime and race relations have also been rising recently, the Ipsos researcher told Reuters. Michael Clemons.
The riots subsided after a number of those who participated in them were arrested and the perpetrators of crimes were sent to prison. Many people also joined anti-racist demonstrations.
The data of "Ipsos" are similar to the results of the study of the "YuGov" institute from last week, which saw immigration as the country's most important issue to tackle for the first time since 2016, when concerns over it were the main reason Britain voted to leave the European Union.
From "Ipsos" have questioned 1010 adult British citizens between August 7 and 13, and the "YuGov" polled 2,163 on August 5 and 6.