A new poll conducted by Techne has found that 57 percent of Britons believe that the government has not acted quickly enough to tackle the small boats crisis.
The survey of 1,624 British adults, carried out on March 1 and 2, revealed that 23 percent of respondents did not think the government had been too slow in bringing forward legislation to combat Channel migrant crossings, while 20 percent said they did not know.
The results of the poll showed that Labour voters were more likely than Tory voters to be critical of the government’s pace, with 87 percent of Labour backers saying that PM Rishi Sunak had been too slow, compared to 25 percent of Conservative voters.
Remainers were also more likely than Brexiteers to believe that the government had not acted quickly enough, with 73 percent and 44 percent of respondents, respectively, holding this view.
This poll comes as Mr Sunak and Home Secretary Suella Braverman are expected to unveil legislation aimed at cracking down on Channel crossings next week.
Speaking in the Commons earlier this week, Mr Sunak did not provide a specific timeframe for the introduction of the legislation, but said that it needed to be as “strong and robust” as possible.
Tory former minister Sir John Hayes welcomed the news that the government is taking action on illegal immigration, but expressed his regret that action had not been taken sooner.
He emphasised the urgency of the matter, calling it a “high priority for the public”, and stating that people voted to take back control of the country’s borders.
The government’s controversial policy of sending migrants on a one-way ticket to Rwanda has been challenged by legal action, and some Tories have suggested that leaving the European Convention on Human Rights could help make it easier to send migrants overseas.
The Home Office reported that 2,950 migrants have crossed the Channel already this year, and a record 45,755 people made the journey from France last year.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson has made tackling the flow of rubber dinghies from France one of his top priorities in the run-up to the next general election. The Techne poll suggests that the government will need to act quickly and decisively if it is to satisfy the concerns of a majority of Britons.
