Brexit Blamed for Britain’s Worsening Migration Crisis, EU Report Claims
A new European Union research document has pointed to Brexit as the primary driver of the UK’s escalating migration crisis, arguing that remaining in the bloc would have given Britain better tools to manage the surge in small boat crossings and record-high net migration.
The study, titled “The Brexit Paradox: How Leaving the EU Led to More Migration”, was prepared this month by the European Parliament’s research service. It claims that the UK’s post-Brexit “liberalisation of migration laws” contributed to net migration soaring from 248,000 in 2016—the year of the referendum—to 906,000 by 2023.
The Brexit Migration Paradox
Despite Brexit being fueled in part by anti-immigration sentiment, the report argues that the UK has ironically attracted more migrants since leaving the EU. The authors highlight a sharp decline in EU migrants being offset by a dramatic rise in arrivals from outside the bloc, driven by post-Brexit policies such as relaxed visa rules for Ukrainians, Hong Kongers, and foreign students.
“Leaving the EU has limited the UK’s ability to tackle irregular migration,” the report states, noting that Britain can no longer return asylum seekers to their first EU port of entry under the Dublin Regulation. It also links the end of free movement to labour shortages, forcing the UK to recruit more non-EU workers—including seasonal labour from countries like Albania.
Small Boats and Asylum Surge
The study notes a steep rise in Channel crossings after Brexit, with illegal entries peaking at 45,744 in 2022—the year the UK fully exited the EU’s Single Market. Between 2018 and 2024, 93% of small boat arrivals applied for asylum, with about 75% succeeding.
While EU migration has fallen, the report suggests the weaker pound and stricter rules for EU workers have made Britain less appealing to Europeans—yet more attractive to non-EU migrants, particularly those fleeing conflict or seeking economic opportunities.
Political Backlash
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage dismissed the findings as “total nonsense,” blaming the UK government’s policies alone. Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp argued that Brexit at least allows Britain to set its own rules, though he admitted post-pandemic policies were “far too weak.” He pledged a strict annual immigration cap if elected.
Meanwhile, Brussels-based think tank MCC accused the EU of “propaganda” to vilify post-Brexit Britain, insisting Conservative governments—not Brexit itself—opened the doors to high migration.
UK-EU Cooperation on the Horizon?
As part of a post-Brexit reset, Prime Minister Keir Starmer is negotiating a “one in, one out” deal with France to return Channel migrants in exchange for accepting asylum seekers from French processing centres. The UK and EU have also agreed to enhance intelligence-sharing to combat people smuggling—though no formal returns agreement has been reached.
The report concludes that while Brexit gave the UK control over its borders, it also removed critical tools for managing migration—leaving Britain grappling with unintended consequences. Whether through stricter policies or deeper EU cooperation, resolving the crisis remains a key challenge for the next government.