Immigration to the United Kingdom remains at a near-record high - but what are the political decisions and global trends which led to its rise in the first place?

Unprecedented levels of immigration motivated many Leave voters in the EU referendum and in this week's programme David Aaronovitch charts a short history of immigration over the past two decades.

Joined by a panel of experts bringing unique insight into the issue, they explore claims that the Labour party wanted to increase immigration to build support, through to the causes of the asylum spike in the early 2000s, and the impact of an expanding European Union.

CONTRIBUTORS

Ed Owen, Former Special Advisor to Labour Home Secretary Jack Straw

Madeleine Sumption, Director of the Migration Observatory at the University of Oxford

David Goodhart, Journalist and commentator, former director of the thinktank Demos

Tony Smith, former Director General of the UK Border Force

Producer: Richard Fenton-Smith
Researcher: Kirsteen Knight. Show less