UK: Net Migration Reaches Record High of 500K

Image copyright: aljazeera

The Spin

Right narrative

The Conservatives are failing to deliver Brexit or get a handle on immigration as the party is being sabotaged by its own senior members who can't even fulfill core right-wing pledges, such as reducing taxation. Its woeful execution has turned Brexit into little more than a farce — Brexiteers have been failed.

Left narrative

The Conservatives are not only failing their own voters by not delivering on election promises but also failing vulnerable refugees and asylum seekers. Criminal gangs are still profiteering from migrants driven desperate by the conservatives' mismanagement of the immigration and asylum systems. The backlog on asylum applications has exceeded 140K — this crisis is the direct result of years of poor Tory governance.

Cynical narrative

While these figures are undoubtedly concerning, we need to be cautious not to give in to the sensationalist headlines, which fail to note the complexity of the numbers. A considerable portion of the increase was made up of students who, prior to Brexit, weren't required to obtain visas, and the remainder was largely caused by unique circumstances.

Metaculus Prediction


Political split

LEFT

RIGHT

Sign Up for Our Free Newsletters
Sign Up for Our Free Newsletters

Sign Up!
Sign Up Now!