Boris Johnson Blames Remainer Civil Servants for Migration Surge
Former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson blamed pro-EU civil servants for driving up immigration to record levels, claiming they feared Brexit would isolate Britain.
In remarks to Sky News, Boris Johnson argued that Whitehall officials with Remain sympathies pushed for mass immigration because they believed Britain’s departure from the European Union would otherwise turn the country into a pariah state, according to Jack Walters writing in GB News.
Johnson’s administration presided over a dramatic surge in legal immigration, with net migration peaking at 944,000 in the year ending March 2023. Over the course of successive Conservative governments, 3.8 million long-term visas were issued, resulting in a cumulative net migration influx of approximately 2.6 million people during the Tory years in office.
The former Prime Minister claimed that liberal-minded bureaucrats in the civil service drove immigration policy based on unfounded fears about Brexit’s impact. Nice, well-meaning, liberal people were saying Brexit is going to turn us into a leper colony, Johnson stated, suggesting this narrative was taken to heart by decision-makers across government departments.
Johnson maintained that Remainer civil servants believed large-scale immigration was necessary to fill positions in sectors such as social care, and that this thinking shaped policy during his tenure.
Johnson Claims He Acted Once Numbers Were Clear
Defending his record, Johnson insisted his government moved to restrict immigration flows once the scale of arrivals became apparent. He asserted that his administration used legal powers to reverse course, though he expressed frustration that action was not taken more swiftly after he left office.
The immigration surge under Johnson’s watch has become a focal point of criticism from Reform UK, which has labeled the post-Brexit influx the “Boriswave.” The term reflects widespread discontent among voters who supported Brexit partly on the promise of restored immigration control.
Johnson’s defense comes as the Conservative Party continues to face scrutiny over its failure to deliver on repeated pledges to reduce net migration following Britain’s departure from the EU.
With information from GB News
