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