Only a quarter of people think immigration is an important issue locally – and concern about it is “a manufactured panic,” it has been claimed.

A YouGov poll found only 26% of people said immigration and asylum was one of the three most important issues facing their community.

This was half the 52% who said it was one of the biggest problems facing the country as a whole, and put immigration seventh on the list of important local problems behind issues like cost of living, health, crime, and housing.

Saeema Syeda, of the Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants (JCWI), said the poll “proves what we’ve been saying all along – there is no immigration crisis”.

She said: “It’s a manufactured panic, pushed by some politicians and parts of the media to distract from what actually matters to people.

“Across our communities, we share the same priorities – making ends meet, accessing healthcare, decent schools and secure homes. We need to end scapegoating and look for solutions.”

The poll, which was commissioned by campaign group Best for Britain, found the cost of living was the top issue for people both nationally and locally.

But while immigration was the second most important issue for people nationally, health was ranked second locally, followed by the economy, crime, housing, and jobs.

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Among those who voted Labour at the last general election, 56% of people mentioned the cost of living as a major national issue and 39% mentioned the economy, compared with 34% who said immigration was a major problem.

Best for Britain said the findings showed that “for most people, including those vital to Labour’s electoral coalition, concerns around immigration are not based on personal experience”.

The YouGov poll surveyed 4,368 British adults between September 5 and 10.