A “disputed” Wikipedia page has been set up in reference to the surge of immigration under former prime minister Boris Johnson.
The ‘Boriswave’ page sets out the incongruous wave of immigration to the United Kingdom that began in 2021, following the country’s withdrawal from the European Union.
It points out that, even though immigration was a central tenet of the Brexit referendum, it actually surged in the immediate aftermath when Johnson, a key Brexit-backer, was in charge.
The page also notes that Johnson promised to reduce net migration, and the Conservatives made the same pledge in four successive general elections in the 2010s which “consistently undelivered”.
Towards the end of the Rishi Sunak administration, the ex-PM blamed high levels of net migration on Johnson, saying he had “inherited very large numbers”.
Revised estimates released towards the end of 2023 showed that net migration had reached a record 745,000 in 2022, after post-Brexit changes to the immigration system brought in under Johnson.
Net migration for the year to June 2023 is estimated to have been slightly lower, at 672,000.