YouGov Poll: Nearly Half of Britons Favor Fewer Israeli Immigrants

According to a YouGov poll conducted on June 8-9, 2026, 47% of Britons favor reduced migration or a complete stop to immigration from Israel, marking an eight-point increase from 39% in 2016. The survey, titled “Britons have a more negative view of immigration in 2026 than in 2016,” reveals that 23% of respondents want less immigration from Israel while 24% want none at all. YouGov noted that public sentiment has hardened across multiple nationalities, with the polling firm stating that attitudes towards Israel have soured as a result of the Gaza conflict.

## Public Opposition Rankings Across Nations

Russia topped the YouGov survey as the country from which Britons most want reduced migration, recording 58% opposition, according to the polling data. Pakistan followed closely at 52%, with Nigeria at 48% and Israel at 47%. Additional countries on the list included Romania at 47%, Egypt and India both at 44%, and Turkey at 43%. By contrast, 5% of respondents favored allowing more Israeli migrants, and 24% supported maintaining current numbers. Meanwhile, attitudes toward Polish migrants shifted in the opposite direction, with those wanting fewer or no Polish arrivals falling from 42% in 2016 to 26% in 2026, according to the findings.

## Brexit Divides and Political Party Splits

The YouGov survey tracked shifts across previous voting blocs, showing that Remain voters who want fewer or no Israeli migrants rose from 27% in 2016 to 41% in 2026. Leave voters remained stable at 52% across both years. According to YouGov, Remain voters grew notably more negative toward migrants from both the United States and Israel, while Leave voters showed virtually no change on those nationalities. When broken down by votes cast in the 2024 general election, Reform UK and Green Party supporters expressed the highest opposition to Israeli immigration at roughly 52% to 53%. Labour and Conservative voters sat in the mid-to-high 40s, and Liberal Democrats recorded the lowest opposition at approximately 41%.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### What percentage of Britons want to restrict immigration from Israel?
According to the June 2026 YouGov poll, 47% of respondents want fewer or no immigrants from Israel, consisting of 23% who want less immigration and 24% who want none at all.

### How do opinions compare between 2016 and 2026?
The combined figure of 47% wanting reduced or zero immigration from Israel represents an eight-point increase from 39% recorded in 2016.

### Which political groups show the highest opposition?
Voters who supported Reform UK and the Green Party in the 2024 general election registered the highest levels of opposition to Israeli immigration, at approximately 52% to 53%.

YouGov Poll: Nearly Half of Britons Favor Fewer Israeli Immigrants
Photo: jpost.com

Did you know? While opposition to immigration from countries like Russia, Pakistan, and Israel has grown over the last decade, public sentiment toward Polish migrants has warmed significantly, with restrictive views dropping from 42% to 26%.

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