Immigration was a key issue during Britain’s EU referendum, with the Leave campaign arguing that Britain had lost control of its borders. Many Brits believe that their communities have undergone changes as a result of immigration policies on which they weren’t consulted and are resentful. Yet there are strong humane, economic and political arguments for open borders. This lively debate, filmed at the Battle of Ideas, explores the consequences of borders and interrogates the relationship of migration controls to sovereignty, democracy and freedom.
The speakers are Nick Cater, executive director, Menzies Research Centre, Australia; columnist,The Australian; Kenan Malik, writer and broadcaster; author, The Quest for a Moral Compass: A Global History of Ethics and From Fatwa to Jihad; and Jon Holbrook, barrister; writer on legal issues; regular contributor to spiked. The chair is Claire Fox, director of the Institute of Ideas.
