Sky News is staging a live debate on immigration in Birmingham next week, bringing together politicians from across the spectrum to face questions in front of a live audience.
The one-hour programme, titled The Immigration Debate, will air on Wednesday 10 September at 7pm and will be fronted by Trevor Phillips.
Senior figures from the Government, the Conservative Party, the Liberal Democrats and Reform UK have agreed to take part. Each will be interviewed individually before joining a panel discussion. Political editor Beth Rigby and data and economics editor Ed Conway will provide analysis afterwards.
The debate comes after months of protest over asylum hotels and as new government policies on asylum have already prompted heated discussions in Parliament and beyond.
Meanwhile, Channel crossings have continued to rise. By 30 August this year, 29,003 people had made the journey in small boats – the highest number ever recorded at this point in the year. Reform UK leader Nigel Farage has also pledged to deport up to 600,000 asylum seekers if he wins the 2029 election, a plan heavily criticised by opponents.
Sarah Whitehead, Sky News’ director of newsgathering and operations, said:
“After a summer dominated by migration headlines, this issue is now at the forefront of public discourse. It’s polarising and politically charged – and our audiences want clarity. This debate will give our viewers the opportunity to hear directly from senior political figures about how they intend to tackle one of the UK’s most pressing challenges.”
The audience has been selected by polling company Survation to be nationally representative.
The Immigration Debate will be broadcast on Sky News channel 501, YouTube and the Sky News app.
