The slogan “Take Back Control” was the central motto of the Brexit campaign, aimed at the United Kingdom’s exit from the European Union. This slogan was widely understood as a call to regain control over immigration policy by ending the right of EU citizens to live, work, and study freely in the United Kingdom.
However, in the years following Brexit, the UK has experienced one of the fastest population increases since the 1960s, making immigration one of the dominant topics in the upcoming parliamentary elections on July 4.
To understand the actual impact of leaving the EU on immigration, it is helpful to look at the town of Skegness on the English coast. There, more than three-quarters of the population voted for Brexit. Skegness is an example of how the issue of immigration is perceived in many parts of the United Kingdom.

Although leaving the EU was marketed as a solution to uncontrolled immigration, the reality is different. Instead of a significant decrease, the United Kingdom has experienced an increase in immigration. Part of this rise can be attributed to illegal migration flows, which are a growing concern.
A clear example is the Conservative Party’s promise to “Stop the Boats,” referring to the tens of thousands of people risking their lives to cross the English Channel in often unsafe boats. This is an issue the government faces, aiming to better control arrivals and reduce the number of illegal immigrants entering the country.
The reality post-Brexit has shown that leaving the EU has brought complex challenges and new focal points regarding border management and the control of migration flows, rather than a reduction in immigration. The issue of immigration remains a highly contentious topic and a central issue for the political future of the United Kingdom.
Although no boats with migrants have landed on the shores of Skegness, the town has been significantly impacted by the immigration issue. Several hotels along the coast were recently used to house asylum seekers while their applications were processed.
Julieanne Bunce, who manages the North Parade Hotel, highlights that the presence of these applicants has not caused direct problems in the community. “They haven’t caused us any inconvenience,” she says. However, she acknowledges that the prevailing sentiment in the region is discomfort regarding their presence. “The general feeling in the Skegness area was that people didn’t want them here,” she adds.
While most asylum seekers have been removed from the hotels, local concerns about the impacts of immigration persist. This reveals an interesting paradox: despite the record increase in immigration, it is often attributed to the dangerous crossings of the English Channel, which does not reflect the complete picture.
In fact, the majority of the increase in immigration in the UK has other origins than the frequently mentioned perilous Channel crossings. Population growth is influenced not only by illegal migrants but also by other factors such as changes in immigration policy and the growing demand for labor and skills that are not fully met by the local workforce.
In 2022, the UK’s net migration reached a historical record of 745,000 people. In 2023, net migration was estimated at 672,000. In the same year, about 30,000 people arrived in the UK by small boats, drawing significant media attention and political concern.
However, the vast majority of immigrants arriving in the UK do so legally. One example is Kiki Ekweigh, a professional working in a supported living facility in Skegness.
Kiki emigrated from Nigeria to the UK to initially study at university and then decided to stay to work. She represents one of the many individuals who enter the UK legally, particularly in critical areas like health and social care.
According to the Migration Observatory at Oxford University, students and health and care professionals like Kiki account for about two-thirds of the visas granted by the UK last year. These groups are significantly responsible for the increase in net migration since the 2010s and contribute greatly to the record figures.
Former Prime Minister Boris Johnson previously described the arrival numbers as “outrageous,” even when they were lower than today. The reality, however, is that the high immigration figures are largely the result of targeted political decisions and government strategies aimed at addressing labor market gaps and specific needs in essential sectors.
When considering the increase in immigration, it is therefore crucial to recognize that it is not simply a reflection of illegal or uncontrolled arrivals but also a result of targeted policies that have shaped the current migration environment in the UK.
The truth is that successive UK governments have recognized the necessity of migrants for the functioning and growth of the country. International students play a crucial role in this balance. They pay significantly higher tuition fees than British students, which helps subsidize higher education for UK students. If the number of international students were to decline, it could lead to an increase in fees for British students, the financial collapse of some universities, or a rise in government funding for the education sector—scenarios that would be highly unpopular.
Moreover, the UK labor market, particularly in health and social care, faces a serious workforce shortage. In the National Health Service (NHS), about one in five of the 1.5 million staff is foreign-born. Despite the high immigration figures, there were still 150,000 job vacancies in the health sector last year, indicating an ongoing demand for skilled workers.
Notably, despite the overall increase in immigration post-Brexit, the number of immigrants from the European Union has decreased. In the 12 months leading up to June 2023, the net migration balance with the European bloc was -86,000, meaning that more EU citizens left the UK than new immigrants arrived. This phenomenon can be attributed to the new barriers and restrictions introduced by Brexit.
However, Europeans have largely been replaced by immigrants from other parts of the world. About 250,000 people came from India, and just under 150,000 from Nigeria. Other significant countries of origin include China, Pakistan, and Zimbabwe.
While illegal immigration is a legitimate concern, it is crucial to acknowledge that immigration in the UK is a multifaceted phenomenon driven by a combination of economic, political, and social factors both within and outside the European Union.
The opposition Labour Party promises to reverse this approach in the event of an election victory. Instead of deporting asylum seekers to Rwanda, the Labour Party’s proposal includes creating a new Border and Security Command responsible for removing unqualified asylum seekers from the UK—those whose applications do not meet the established criteria.
Additionally, the newly formed Reform UK, a radical right party, advocates for a zero-tolerance policy towards illegal immigration. This party proposes drastic measures, including the UK’s withdrawal from the European Convention on Human Rights, to harden the stance on unauthorized immigration.
Overall, the UK aligns with other wealthy nations regarding migration. In 2022, 14% of the UK population was made up of foreign-born individuals, a percentage comparable to countries like the USA and the Netherlands. In countries like Canada, New Zealand, and Australia, however, the share of the foreign-born population is significantly higher. For example, the share of the foreign-born population in Australia is about twice the percentage observed in the UK.
The reality is that immigration to the UK has not only been driven by the lost freedom of movement that accompanied Brexit. The UK economy has a constant demand for migrants, which contrasts with the political rhetoric that often highlights illegal immigration as the main issue.
A significant reduction in the number of people arriving in the UK would require difficult concessions that the government has so far been unwilling to make. Furthermore, illegal immigration, particularly through dangerous routes like Channel crossings, is a topic that all parties like to criticize, often steering the debate toward visible and less complex solutions.