Britons are more fearful about immigration than other nations, according to a poll of people across the United States, Canada and western Europe

Almost one in four (23%) Britons said immigration was the most important issue facing the country. The survey found that 59% of Britons agreed that there were too many people living in the country who were not born in Britain. In addition, seven out of 10 (70%) British people said the government was doing a poor job in managing immigration. A total of 47% believed legal immigrants were a burden on social services like schools and hospitals, and 33% said legal immigrants increase crime. About one in four (22%) said only British citizens should have access to British schools and 25% said only British citizens should have access to health-care. The British government says it is committed to reducing net migration from hundreds of thousands to tens of thousands within the lifetime of the Parliament.