Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Apurav Bhatiya @apuravbhatiya.bsky.social · 4d

UK’s plan for digital ID cards to curb illegal migration has sparked backlash—over 2.7M signed a petition against it.
Opposition is highest where trust in MPs is lowest. Reform voters oppose digital IDs most—anti-establishment sentiment outweighs anti-immigration stance
More here: shorturl.at/lr1cs

Digital IDs and the Politics of Control

Why are Digital IDs so unpopular and why do Reform UK supporters, who want tougher borders, oppose them the most?

poleconnotesuk.substack.com

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Apurav Bhatiya @apuravbhatiya.bsky.social · 10d

“When you lose your life many times, you become not so afraid”
Why has every government attempt to deter small boat crossings been so ineffective? I explore why detterence can not work as migration policy.

Read more here: open.substack.com/pub/poleconn...

The Hope That Outweighs Fear

Why has every government attempt to deter small boat crossings been so ineffective?

open.substack.com

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Apurav Bhatiya @apuravbhatiya.bsky.social · 12d

How effective is the UK’s one-in-one-out migrant deal with France? And what should the UK government be doing instead? My research was featured in Al Jazeera, where I spoke about why the scheme is unlikely to deter crossings and why safer, legal routes matter.

www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/9/...

Al Jazeera English @aljazeera.com · 14d

Just four people have been deported to France under migrant deal with the UK.

How effective is UK’s one-in-one-out migrant deal with France so far?

Just four people have been deported to France under migrant deal with the UK.

bit.ly

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Apurav Bhatiya @apuravbhatiya.bsky.social · 18d

Are we living in an age of constant crisis or are we overusing the word? I track how often news outlets used the words crisis, issue, and challenge.

Maybe COVID-19 left a linguistic inertia, where even serious challenges are quickly labelled as crises?

More here: open.substack.com/pub/poleconn...

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Apurav Bhatiya @apuravbhatiya.bsky.social · 26d

📊 𝗠𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗮 𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘃𝘀 𝗽𝗼𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻

1 year since 2024 election:
👉 Reform UK — 5 MPs, yet ~16× more coverage per MP than Labour.
👉 Lib Dems — 72 MPs, but least coverage per MP of all major leaders.

𝗥𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺 punches far above its weight, while the 𝗟𝗶𝗯 𝗗𝗲𝗺𝘀 are overlooked despite their size.

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Reposted by Apurav Bhatiya

LSE Blogs @lseblogs.bsky.social · Sep 9

With record Channel crossings and protests outside asylum hotels this summer, small boat migration is at the centre of UK politics.

Accounting for <2 per cent of total migrant inflows, it has an outsized impact on attitudes to #immigration.

@apuravbhatiya.bsky.social @lsepoliticsblog.bsky.social

Small boat crossings have a disproportionate impact on immigration attitudes - British Politics and Policy at LSE

Though small boat crossings represent only a small share of total migration, their visibility and media attention reduces support for all forms of immigration

blogs.lse.ac.uk

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Apurav Bhatiya @apuravbhatiya.bsky.social · Sep 8

With record Channel crossings & protests outside asylum hotels this summer, small boat migration remains the centre of UK politics.

Thanks to @lsepoliticsblog.bsky.social for featuring our research on how these visible events shape wider public attitudes.

Full Paper: warwick.ac.uk/fac/soc/econ...

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Apurav Bhatiya @apuravbhatiya.bsky.social · Aug 15

Recently, it feels like every news story on UK migration is about small boats. Is our national conversation being shaped more by visibility than scale?

Since 2021, small boat arrivals made up less than 1.5% of UK net migration—yet accounted for ~20% of all migration-related media coverage.
#EconSky

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Apurav Bhatiya @apuravbhatiya.bsky.social · Aug 8

📢 Google Scholar's 2025 Scholar Metrics are out!

h5-index is largest number h such that h articles published in 2020-2024 have at least h citations each.

See how Economics journals rank 👇
#EconSky
📊 Rankings: scholar.google.co.uk/citations?vi...
📢 Announcement: scholar.google.com/intl/en/scho...

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Reposted by Apurav Bhatiya

Bjarne Norum @bjarnenorum.bsky.social · Jul 14

Migrants will not stop at last hurdle when they have invested so much to reach The English Channel. In @kristeligt-dagblad.dk @apuravbhatiya.bsky.social @fpalondon.bsky.social @ukandeu.bsky.social
www.kristeligt-dagblad.dk/udland/aftal...

Aftale mellem Frankrig og Storbritannien skal bremse migrantstrøm over kanalen

Kritikere tvivler på, at aftale mellem Storbritannien og Frankrig vil afskrække migranter fra at krydse Den Engelske Kanal

www.kristeligt-dagblad.dk

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Reposted by Apurav Bhatiya

UK in a Changing Europe @ukandeu.bsky.social · Jul 13

"For UK policymakers, the key lesson is that controlling the story may matter as much as controlling the border."

✍️ @apuravbhatiya.bsky.social and Shanta Kadam analyse public opinion around small boat crossings and the impact it has on UK politics

How small boat crossings shift public opinion - UK in a changing Europe

Apurav Bhatiya and Shanta Kadam analyse the impact of small boat crossings on public opinion towards migration in the UK.

ukandeu.ac.uk

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Apurav Bhatiya @apuravbhatiya.bsky.social · Jul 11

Trying to stop migrants at final stage of their long, costly journey across the Channel misses the point. Many spend months and most of their resources just to reach northern France. Deterrence at the last hurdle will not work. The real fix is to reduce the need for such journeys in the first place.

The Guardian @theguardian.com · Jul 10

Starmer says ‘one in, one out’ deal will allow UK to return small-boat migrants to France

PM says those crossing Channel illegally will be detained and sent back to France ‘in short order’ People arriving via small boats will be detained and returned to France “in short order” with a new safe and legal route established for refugees for the first time, Keir Starmer has announced. The “one in, one out” deal – a pilot agreed with the French president, Emmanuel Macron – will for the first time give the UK the ability to return asylum seekers who cross the Channel to France who would not then be allowed to apply via the legal route. Continue reading...

www.theguardian.com

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Reposted by Apurav Bhatiya

UK in a Changing Europe @ukandeu.bsky.social · Jul 10

An announcement is expected today from Starmer and Macron about a “one in, one out” migration deal on small boat crossings

Read @apuravbhatiya.bsky.social & Shanta Kadam's blog on public opinion and small boat crossings in the UK and the impact it has on UK politics

ukandeu.ac.uk/how-small-bo...

How small boat crossings shift public opinion - UK in a changing Europe

Apurav Bhatiya and Shanta Kadam analyse the impact of small boat crossings on public opinion towards migration in the UK.

ukandeu.ac.uk

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Reposted by Apurav Bhatiya

bylinepodcast.bsky.social @bylinepodcast.bsky.social · Jul 10

As #smallboats dominate the news once again, @goldbergradio.bsky.social hears how the headlines stir up more hatred against ALL migrants.

With @zoejardiniere.bsky.social @apuravbhatiya.bsky.social
@bylinetimes.bsky.social

podfollow.com/byline-podca...

Byline Podcast: Small Boats - And The Rising Tide Of Racism

The latest figures show that more than 19,000 migrants have arrived in the UK from France this year after crossing the channel in makeshift vessels, despite government pledges to destroy smuggling ...

podfollow.com

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Apurav Bhatiya @apuravbhatiya.bsky.social · Jul 8

Small Boat crossings is one of the key agenda points on French President's visit to the UK this week. My new research shows that irregular migration in the English channel increases anti-immigration sentiment among the British public even towards legal migration routes. Read more in our blog below:

UK in a Changing Europe @ukandeu.bsky.social · Jul 8

"For UK policymakers, the key lesson is that controlling the story may matter as much as controlling the border."

✍️ @apuravbhatiya.bsky.social and Shanta Kadam analyse public opinion around small boat crossings and the impact it has on UK politics

ukandeu.ac.uk/how-small-bo...

How small boat crossings shift public opinion - UK in a changing Europe

Apurav Bhatiya and Shanta Kadam analyse the impact of small boat crossings on public opinion towards migration in the UK. Irregular migration...

ukandeu.ac.uk

Reposted by Apurav Bhatiya

CAGE Research Centre @cagewarwick.bsky.social · Jul 3

“.. welfare cuts are felt most strongly by those who are already economically vulnerable and can therefore exacerbate existing inequalities.” Research by @ericmelander.bsky.social and Martina Miotto analyses the impact of the 1834 reforms – the largest welfare cut in British history. buff.ly/5CdCJWw

The impact of welfare reforms - lessons from history

Many in opposition to the government's proposed welfare cuts describe the bill as 'Dickensian' and 'from another era'. While the debate continues, we highlight the work of CAGE Research Associates Eri...

warwick.ac.uk

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Reposted by Apurav Bhatiya

bylinepodcast.bsky.social @bylinepodcast.bsky.social · Jul 3

"Immigration is going to happen anyway. Currently it is being extremely poorly managed..."

@zoejardiniere.bsky.social @apuravbhatiya.bsky.social a join @goldbergradio.bsky.social to talk about small boats & migration

From @bylinetimes.bsky.social

podfollow.com/byline-podca...

Byline Podcast: Small Boats - And The Rising Tide Of Racism

The latest figures show that more than 19,000 migrants have arrived in the UK from France this year after crossing the channel in makeshift vessels, despite government pledges to destroy smuggling ...

podfollow.com

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Reposted by Apurav Bhatiya

Zoe Gardner @zoejardiniere.bsky.social · Jul 2

Great discussion on latest figures of people crossing the Channel in small boats, & how hostility towards them has us caught in a doom-loop that prevents the sane, humane management of immigration #r4today

Thank you @bylinetimespod.bsky.social 😊

bylinepodcast.bsky.social @bylinepodcast.bsky.social · Jul 2

NEW EPISODE: "Small Boats And The Rising Tide Of Racism"

@goldbergradio.bsky.social hears how headlines about a minority of migrants affect the public's view of all of them

With @apuravbhatiya.bsky.social @zoejardiniere.bsky.social

From @bylinetimes.bsky.social

podfollow.com/byline-times...

BYLINE TIMES PODCAST: Small Boats - And The Rising Tide Of Racism

The latest figures show that more than 19,000 migrants have arrived in the UK from France this year after crossing the channel in makeshift vessels, despite government pledges to destroy smuggling ...

podfollow.com

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Apurav Bhatiya @apuravbhatiya.bsky.social · Jun 20

We also find:
- Higher Google searches for “small boats” & “English Channel crossings”
- More people name immigration as most pressing issue
- Increase in perception of high immigration levels
Irregular migration may be small in scale but big in political impact. Full paper here: shorturl.at/vtRaJ

shorturl.at

Apurav Bhatiya @apuravbhatiya.bsky.social · Jun 20

Why? Because irregular migration is not just news—it is narrative. Media coverage spikes after crossings, especially in right-leaning outlets who frame it as crime and loss of border control. Left-leaning media can offset anti-immigration attitudes, but only those with low baseline concern.

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Apurav Bhatiya @apuravbhatiya.bsky.social · Jun 20

We study small boat crossings across English Channel—highly visible and heavily politicised.
Linking daily arrival data with panel survey responses from the BES, we show migrant crossings reduce support for all migration—including legal routes.
Recent policy changes closely mirror these shifts.

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Apurav Bhatiya @apuravbhatiya.bsky.social · Jun 20

Illegal migration tops the political agenda.
Trump vows mass deportations. Starmer wants to “Smash the Gangs”. Sunak pledged to “Stop the Boats”.
Yet its hidden nature makes it hard to track and harder to study its impact on public attitudes.
My new paper digs in. 🧵 #EconSky

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Reposted by Apurav Bhatiya

David Storey @davidstoreygeog.bsky.social · Jun 19

"Although they account for a small fraction of total migration....their visibility and symbolic weight give them disproportionate influence over public perception"
Media coverage of 'small boat" crossings
@bylinetimes.bsky.social
bylinetimes.com/2025/06/19/h...

How Negative Media Headlines About Small Boat Crossings Are Turning Brits Against All Migrants

New research finds that disproportionate coverage of the relatively low numbers crossing the English channel is turning British people against all incomers

bylinetimes.com

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Reposted by Apurav Bhatiya

Madeleine Sumption @msumption.bsky.social · Jun 3

Calling UKRI-funded doctoral students interested in migration!

Apply for an internship with the Migration Advisory Committee - deadline 8th Sept

www.ukri.org/apply-for-fu...

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Reposted by Apurav Bhatiya

Matteo Gamalerio @matteogamalerio.bsky.social · May 28

Applications still open for the 2025 @ubeconomics.bsky.social on "The Political Economy of Immigration."

☀️ 30 June – 4 July, 2025 | Barcelona

📅 Deadline: June 15th

Lecturers: @andreassteinmayr.net and @tsurovtseva.bsky.social.

More info: www.ub.edu/school-econo... #EconSky #polisky

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