The Briefing Room - Part 2: How's the government doing on immigration?

Download Part 2: How's the government doing on immigration?

According to polls immigration remains near the top - or at the top - of public concerns. And now a new prime minister inherits that popular anxiety. Last week The Briefing Room examined arguably the most visible aspect of the migration question: the small boats, asylum seeking and illegal migration.

This week we look at legal migration, the issue of reliance on overseas workers, changes to indefinite leave to remain and public opinion about migration.

Guests:

Madeleine Sumption, Director of the Migration Observatory at the University of Oxford and author of What is Immigration Policy for?
Dominic Casciani, BBC Home and Legal correspondent
Rob Ford, Professor of Political Science at the University of Manchester

Production team:

Presenter: David Aaronovitch
Producers: Ben Carter and Kirsteen Knight
Editor: Richard Vadon
Sound engineers: Duncan Hannant
Sound mix: James Beard
Production co-ordinators: Siobhan Reed, Maria Ogundele

Published on Monday, 27th July 2026.

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