1. Resolving the issues about Asylum Seekers and Refugees
MYTH BUSTER
Resolving the issues about Asylum Seekers and Refugees
Sources: IPPR Factfile: ‘Asylum in the UK’, Crossing Border ‘Press Myths’, Refugee Council ‘The Facts About Asylum, UKBA, UNHCR, ACPO, General Medical Council, Commission for Racial Equality, MORI

2. Introduction
FACT: Asylum seekers and refugees are rarely out of the British media
FACT: Many myths surround asylum seekers and refugees in the UK
FACT: This short presentation seeks to resolve these myths
Sources: IPPR Factfile: ‘Asylum in the UK’, Crossing Border ‘Press Myths’, Refugee Council ‘The Facts About Asylum, UKBA, UNHCR, ACPO, General Medical Council, Commission for Racial Equality, MORI

3. Britain Is The Asylum Capital Of The World”
MYTH: British people believe that on average the UK has 23% of the world’s refugees
FACT: The UK houses under 2% of the world’s refugees
Two thirds of the world’s refugees live in developing countries
In 2008 the UK ranked 17th in the league table of industrialised countries for the number of asylum applicants per head of population
Sources: IPPR Factfile: ‘Asylum in the UK’, Crossing Border ‘Press Myths’, Refugee Council ‘The Facts About Asylum, UKBA, UNHCR, ACPO, General Medical Council, Commission for Racial Equality, MORI

4. Asylum Seekers Are Mainly Illegal
MYTH: People seeking asylum do so under illegal means
FACT: There is no such thing as an illegal asylum seeker
The UK signed the 1951 Convention on Refugees giving anyone the right to apply for asylum in the UK and stay here until a final decision has been made on their application
Sources: IPPR Factfile: ‘Asylum in the UK’, Crossing Border ‘Press Myths’, Refugee Council ‘The Facts About Asylum, UKBA, UNHCR, ACPO, General Medical Council, Commission for Racial Equality, MORI

5. Asylum Seekers Abuse The Welfare System
MYTH: Asylum seekers receive large benefits
FACT: Asylum seekers aren’t allowed to claim many types of benefit
A lone parent asylum seeker will receive £42.62 per week
A single person (not parent) will receive £35.52 per week.
FACT: This is 30% below the UK poverty line
Sources: IPPR Factfile: ‘Asylum in the UK’, Crossing Border ‘Press Myths’, Refugee Council ‘The Facts About Asylum, UKBA, UNHCR, ACPO, General Medical Council, Commission for Racial Equality, MORI

6. Asylum Seekers & Migrants Cause Crime
MYTH: Reports in newspapers have implied that asylum seekers and refugees are more likely to cause crime
FACT: A report by the Association of Chief Police Officers stated that the “vast majority of people seeking asylum are law abiding citizens”
Asylum seekers are more likely to be the victims of crime than the perpetrators
A report by Refugee Action stated that one in five of their clients experienced some sort of harassment
Sources: IPPR Factfile: ‘Asylum in the UK’, Crossing Border ‘Press Myths’, Refugee Council ‘The Facts About Asylum, UKBA, UNHCR, ACPO, General Medical Council, Commission for Racial Equality, MORI

7. Asylum Seekers Cause Unemployment
MYTH: Some people believe that asylum seekers take British jobs away from British people
FACT: Most asylum seekers aren’t allowed to work
Some asylum seekers may take casual jobs. These jobs may pay a wage below the minimum wage
Sources: IPPR Factfile: ‘Asylum in the UK’, Crossing Border ‘Press Myths’, Refugee Council ‘The Facts About Asylum, UKBA, UNHCR, ACPO, General Medical Council, Commission for Racial Equality, MORI

8. Asylum Seekers Cause The Shortage Of Housing In The UK
MYTH: Asylum seekers take all the affordable housing
FACT: This problem is not caused by asylum seekers
Many asylum seekers are destitute and homeless.
If every asylum seeker left the UK there would still be a shortage of housing
Recent governments have restricted the building of new homes
Last year only 3 units of housing were built for every 1000 people
Sources: IPPR Factfile: ‘Asylum in the UK’, Crossing Border ‘Press Myths’, Refugee Council ‘The Facts About Asylum, UKBA, UNHCR, ACPO, General Medical Council, Commission for Racial Equality, MORI

9. Asylum Seekers Drain NHS Resources
MYTH: Some people believe that asylum seekers excessively use the NHS for free
FACT: Migrants have made a massive contribution to the NHS
Today 23% of doctors and 47% of nurses were born outside of the UK
Many of these professionals were trained in their countries of origin
GPs are allowed to block patients if their lists are too full
Sources: IPPR Factfile: ‘Asylum in the UK’, Crossing Border ‘Press Myths’, Refugee Council ‘The Facts About Asylum, UKBA, UNHCR, ACPO, General Medical Council, Commission for Racial Equality, MORI

10. Myth: Campaigns against asylum seekers are standing up for ordinary working class people
FACT: The campaign against asylum seekers …
won’t lead to a single affordable house being built, or
a single hospital waiting list being reduced, or
a single school being built
FACT: The campaign against asylum seekers diverts attention from the real causes of poverty
FACT: It divides and weakens initiatives to change things for the better
FACT: That’s why trade unions often take the lead in fighting racism
Sources: IPPR Factfile: ‘Asylum in the UK’, Crossing Border ‘Press Myths’, Refugee Council ‘The Facts About Asylum, UKBA, UNHCR, ACPO, General Medical Council, Commission for Racial Equality, MORI