Where
once immigration was seen as the biggest problem for the UK, a
negative force on national life, now it barely registers on the list
of voter concerns, with polls suggesting increasing numbers believe
it has had a positive impact on Britain.
In
April, a regular Ipsos Mori survey found immigration was a concern
for 11% of people - the lowest level since 2001.
While
in March, an
earlier Ipsos Mori poll for BBC Crossing Divides found
that British adults expressing positive views about immigration's
impact outnumbered those with negative views.
Emilia
Koziol-Wisniewski, one of the first Polish workers to come to the UK
after EU expansion 15 years ago, the 2016 referendum result was a low
point. Since the Brexit referendum campaign, she says, she has
experienced abuse and racism.
"The
comments were just vile, 'Deport them', 'Get rid of them',"
Emilia tells me. "I think the Brexit referendum empowered people
to say certain things...On the one hand, after the referendum, we had
people who would be nasty in their comments. And then we would have
people who would come to us and say, 'It's not in my name. I do
apologise on behalf of my nation. I welcome you here,' " says
Emilia.
As
the arrivals of the past 15 years have integrated, so general
concerns about immigration have subsided.
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