Opinion on immigration is divided among the people of Bradford, a new survey has suggested.

News publisher UnHerd surveyed more than 21,000 people across the UK, in conjunction with FocalData, to help paint a picture of the country’s views on the rights of migrants to work and live in Britain.

The survey asked participants whether they agreed or disagreed with the statement ‘immigrants should be free to move to Britain and work’.

The responses were then analysed to create a model for each parliamentary constituency, before the constituencies from across the UK were then ranked - based on how many agree versus disagree - with the top ranking being the most pro-migrant.

Five parliamentary constituencies in the Bradford district were polled, with Bradford South being the least immigrant-friendly: 46 per cent disagreed with freedom of movement to Britain - in comparison with just 38 per cent for the country as a whole - while 27 per cent were supportive, and the rest undecided.

Of those who said they disagreed, 23 per cent said they strongly disagreed with the statement, while the other 23 per cent said they simply disagreed.

This placed Bradford South at 621st out of 632 constituencies across the country, suggesting it may be one the most anti-migrant areas in the whole of the UK.

At the opposing end of the spectrum was the Shipley constituency, where 43 per cent of respondents said they agreed with the statement, and 34 per cent disagreed, with the rest not inclined either way. This ranked Shipley as the 94th most pro-migrant out of the 632 UK constituencies polled.

Elsewhere, Bradford West was ranked 285th, as 35 per cent agreed and 38 per cent disagreed, while Keighley came 418th with 31 per cent agreeing and 39 per cent disagreeing. Bradford East was the second least migrant-friendly constituency from the Bradford district surveyed, ranking 449th, with 33 per cent agreeing and 42 per cent disagreeing.

Age, education and existing ethnic diversity are key factors that influence an area’s collective attitude towards immigration, according to Eric Kaufmann, UnHerd commentator and professor at London’s Birkbeck University.

The proportion of people with a university degree closely correlates with their outlook, with more educated populations usually more welcoming of migrants, he argued.

Mr. Kaufmann added: “Immigration attitudes are the fulcrum around which the politics of western societies are realigning. This is because those whose psychological make-up inclines them to see difference as disorder and change as loss are voting for parties that promise to slow immigration.

“Should Boris Johnson ink a [Brexit] deal while failing to reduce migration levels, we should expect this debate to return - intruding as sharply into British politics as it did in the run-up to 23 June, 2016.”

Jagtar Sahota, secretary at the Bradford branch of the Indian Workers’ Association, said “As an organisation, we stand by the view that if industries decide that they need workers, then workers should be allowed to work and live in this country. We should not be discriminating against workers from other countries. I think it’s very immoral that capitalists and rich people can essentially take their businesses anywhere in the world, but an ordinary working class person who wants to migrate can sometimes face opposition.”

Bradford 4 Better - a community action group which “campaigns against social issues and challenging problems within local communities” - interpreted the data as being an indictment of division existing between different communities in Bradford.

“Division has been on the rise for several years, partly fuelled by some of the propaganda used in the 2016 Brexit referendum and a general anti-immigration rhetoric, which in turn gives licence for people to air anti-immigrant sentiment and misguided views.

“If there are any Bradford South residents, or residents from anywhere else who are perhaps against the free movement of immigrants and feel like migrants shouldn’t come to work and live in the UK, we at Bradford 4 Better are inviting them to join us in a cross-community ‘cook and chat’ event, which we are planning to organise in the new year.

“At events like this, we socialise with a lot of people who have migrated here from different countries. It would be great for us all to socialise and challenge the potential misconceptions we might have of each other’s communities and learn from one another.

“There is much work ahead for everyone, which we at Bradford 4 Better have been at the forefront of - taking a lead and bringing communities together. That has been the role adopted by Bradford 4 Better through our numerous community-led initiatives, which break down barriers and see people working together to create a better future for all.”

Bradford Council were also asked for a comment on the data, but did not respond.