‘The Immigration Debate’ Sky News to Host Landmark Live Debate on Immigration Featuring Leading Politicians
- Sky News will host a live immigration debate in Birmingham at 7pm on 10th September
- Hosted by Trevor Phillips and in front of a live audience, the debate will feature representatives from the Government, The Conservative Party, The Liberal Democrats, and Reform UK
- The special programme follows a summer of public protest over asylum hotels and new Government asylum policies
- Available to watch on Sky News channel 501, YouTube, and on the Sky News App
Sky News today announces details of its special debate programme on immigration. ‘The Immigration Debate’ will be broadcast live from Birmingham on Wednesday, 10th September at 7pm, bringing together senior political figures to discuss one of the most pressing and divisive issues in the UK today.
The one-hour programme, hosted by Trevor Phillips, will feature senior figures from across the political spectrum - including representatives from the Government, The Conservative Party, The Liberal Democrats, and Reform UK – as they set out their party’s position on both legal and illegal migration.
Each participant will be interviewed individually by Trevor Phillips before engaging in a head-to-head panel discussion in front of a nationally representative live audience. This will be followed by expert analysis and reaction from Sky News Political Editor Beth Rigby and Data and Economics Editor Ed Conway.
The debate comes after a summer of protest over the issue of asylum hotels, with new asylum policies announced earlier this week already sparking public and parliamentary debate.
At the same time, there has also been a record number of migrants crossing the Channel in small boats in 2025 – with 29,003 having made the journey by 30th August, a record number for this point in a year. Meanwhile, Reform UK Leader Nigel Farage has promised to deport up to 600,000 asylum seekers if he wins the next election in 2029 – a plan opponents have criticised as unworkable.
The programme will provide viewers with an in-depth, balanced look at the political, economic and social dimensions of immigration, hearing from all sides to bring audiences the full story, first.
Sarah Whitehead, Director of Newsgathering and Operations at Sky News, 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 special programme is available to watch on Sky News channel 501, YouTube and on the Sky News App.
Notes to editors:
‘The Immigration Debate takes place between 7pm-8pm on Wednesday 10th October.
The Government, The Conservative Party, The Liberal Democrats, and Reform UK have agreed to take part. Our selection is based on current national polling and voter support to reflect where public opinion is today.
Sky News will ensure the other political parties receive an appropriate level of coverage with due weight across our output.
An audience of adults from across Britain have been selected by Survation to be nationally representative.
For further information, please contact:
Tatiana Alderson, Communications Manager, Sky News – tatiana.alderson@sky.uk
Pippa English, Head of Communications, Sky News – pippa.english@sky.uk