Portrait of Boris Johnson
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Boris Johnson on Immigration

Pledged migration cap (strong) Position evolved

Boris Johnson's stated position on immigration evolved significantly, aligning with the Conservative Party's post-Brexit agenda to take back control of the UK's borders.

During his time as Mayor of London, Johnson was known as a supporter of immigration and even endorsed an amnesty for illegal migrants at one point. However, his political focus shifted to Euroscepticism, culminating in his prominent role in the Vote Leave campaign.

As Prime Minister, Johnson promised to reduce net migration to below 250,000 per year before the next election. Despite this pledge, net migration figures continued to rise, reaching record highs during his tenure, with the majority of growth coming from non-EU nationals.

Context

Boris Johnson's stance on immigration is intrinsically linked to his role as the leading figure in the Brexit campaign, which promised to end the free movement of people from the European Union.

His government's actions post-Brexit focused on replacing the EU framework with a points-based system, which was intended to control immigration based on skills rather than nationality.

Timeline

  1. As Mayor of London, Johnson was perceived as having moved leftward on certain issues, including endorsing an amnesty for illegal migrants.
  2. During Brexit negotiations, Johnson advocated for a more liberal approach to immigration compared to then-Prime Minister Theresa May’s stance.
  3. Johnson promised to reduce net migration to the United Kingdom below 250,000 per year by the next general election.
  4. The government launched a significant scheme for Hongkongers with British National (Overseas) status following the introduction of the Hong Kong national security law.
  5. Long-term net migration to the UK reached a record high of 764,000 under his government, with immigration figures at 1.26 million.

Actions Taken

  1. Policy Pledge
    Announced a promise to reduce net migration to below 250,000 per year.
  2. Immigration Scheme Implementation
    Launched a scheme offering a path to the UK for British National (Overseas) passport holders from Hong Kong.
  3. Asylum Policy
    The government introduced an asylum plan to send individuals entering the UK illegally to Rwanda.
  4. Legislation
    The government announced plans to reform the national immigration system as part of the legislative agenda.

Related Positions

  • Brexit Johnson's campaign for Brexit was central to his desire to control and reform the UK's immigration system, ending EU free movement.
  • UK-Hong Kong Relations His government created a specific, large-scale immigration route for Hong Kong BN(O) holders in response to political events in Hong Kong.

Criticism

Analysts/Data

Net migration figures increased significantly under his leadership, reaching 488,000 in 2021 and a record 764,000 in 2022, failing to meet his 250,000 target.

Sources2

* This is not an exhaustive list of sources.