Successive UK governments have made immigration policy a high political priority, but no recent government has seemed to meet public expectations in the pursuit of those policies. So, what have recent immigration policies been trying to achieve, and why have so many people ended up unhappy with the outcome?

A new book by Madeleine Sumption explores these questions. Drawing on decades of research, she explores the unavoidable trade-offs governments face, and the impacts of their choices on people and communities.

To answer these questions and more, this IfG event brought together an expert panel, including:

Rt Hon Amber Rudd, former Home Secretary (2016–18) and former Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (2018–19)

Madeleine Sumption, Director of the Migration Observatory at Oxford University and a member of the UK Government’s Migration Advisory Committee

This event was chaired by Alex Thomas, Executive Director for Impact and Influence at the Institute for Government.