Get your facts straight!

We often hear the same comments regarding people seeking asylum in the UK, such as, ‘Why don’t they seek asylum in the first safe country they reach?’. Or, ‘But why have they passed through so many safe countries?’

However, did you know that most displaced people do stay in the first country they arrive in, with 70% living in neighbouring countries?

Most importantly, there is no legal requirement for people to claim asylum in the first country they reach. The 1951 Refugee Convention, of which the UK is a signatory, states that people can seek asylum in any country they choose. People seeking sanctuary in the UK often have family ties, language connections, or professional links to the country.

In fact, a 2023 poll by the International Rescue Committee found that 67% of the UK public said they would want to be able to choose which country they sought asylum in if they had to flee. It’s also important to note that many people seeking sanctuary don’t know where they’re going, as their journey is often decided by smugglers or, in some cases, human traffickers.

The idea of a "first safe country" is much more complex, as many displaced people have little control over their journey and are often driven by safety concerns, family connections, and the harsh realities they face. But, regardless of the path they take and the countries they travel through, seeking asylum is a human right, not a crime.

A rhetoric that is present in the media and elsewhere in our society often labels displaced people as ‘illegal’ – a statement which is not only false but extremely unfair and dehumanising.

The truth about ‘illegal asylum seekers’ is, as stated in the Refugee Convention (Article 31, Paragraph 1) – of which the UK were signatories – there is no such thing; it is not illegal to enter a country in order to claim asylum, regardless of the way in which a person arrives.

Seeking asylum is a human right, not a crime. So, let's stop treating it as one.

Language and the use of it is so important, which is why it's essential for us to raise our voices against the skewed and hate-filled narratives that not only diminish the daily traumatic experiences faced by those seeking sanctuary, but also isolate the most vulnerable members of our society.

We often hear the misconception that people seeking asylum in the UK don’t want to work. However, this couldn’t be further from the truth.

Research from Lift The Ban reveals that 94% of people seeking asylum want to find employment. Unfortunately, under current UK laws, most are not entitled to work until their refugee status is granted. Lifting this ban could bring an estimated £333 million per year into the UK economy.

But the issue doesn’t stop there. Statistics show that 48% of asylum claims take longer than six months, with some individuals waiting years for a decision. This creates a situation of uncertainty and limbo for many.

So, let’s use this information to change the narrative. It’s not a case of people not wanting to work; it’s that they simply can’t.

A common narrative promoted across the media and elsewhere in the UK is that we take in too many refugees. However, the statistics tell a different story.

Research shows that 32% of all refugees and asylum seekers are hosted by just five countries: Iran (3.8 million), Türkiye (3.1 million), Colombia (2.7 million), Germany (2.7 million), and Uganda (1.7 million). The UK, by contrast, ranks outside the top 10.

When it comes to asylum applications per capita, the UK ranks 19th in Europe. In fact, in 2019, those who had originally arrived in the UK seeking asylum accounted for only 0.6% of the country’s total resident population – a figure that includes everyone who has sought asylum over the past 50 years.

The statistics reveal the truth: as a nation with considerable wealth and a proud history of supporting people seeking sanctuary, there’s always more we can do. Britain is far from overpopulated; in fact, it has an abundance of land.

So, let's be clear – we don’t take too many refugees – statistics show that.

Refugees and people seeking asylum deserve our compassion and support.

Another misguided narrative that we often hear is that people seeking asylum are only coming to the UK for financial gain – a falsehood pushed by the far right to distort public perception of some of society’s most vulnerable people.

But the truth is clear: seeking asylum is not the same as moving for economic reasons. Most people seeking asylum have little to no understanding of welfare policies and access to provisions, with many coming from countries with no welfare state.

People seeking sanctuary in the UK must prove that they were forced to leave their home country due to unsafe conditions and a genuine fear of persecution if they return. If they arrive in the UK without money or a place to stay, they can apply for asylum accommodation and support.

They are not allowed to work and cannot access mainstream benefits while their claim is being processed. Instead, they rely on a separate welfare system that provides £49.18 per week - less than 55% of Jobseeker’s Allowance. This means that people seeking asylum live on around £7 per day, placing them well below the UK poverty line.

We hope you’ll find these facts useful to challenge harmful misconceptions.

At the end of the day, asylum seekers are human beings - people who have endured unimaginable hardships and deserve our compassion.

Another common talking point from the far right – and often echoed in the media – is, "Why is it only young men coming across on boats?" While it's true that more men make the journey by boat, there’s rarely any real effort to understand why that might be.

In reality, refugee camps typically have a near 50/50 split between men and women. But when it comes to making a perilous journey like crossing to Europe or the UK by boat, generally speaking, young men can better handle a more dangerous and risky trip.

As a result, it’s common for women and children to remain in camps in neighbouring countries while the men take on the risk of the journey. Once they arrive, they can apply for asylum and – if successful – bring their families in a much safer way. This is often a family's best hope for survival.

However, whilst it's important to reframe these narratives and challenge misleading assumptions, it’s equally vital not to lose sight of the human stories behind the statistics. Every day, people risk their lives crossing seas in search of safety. These conversations must be approached with empathy and compassion.

Online, we often encounter the misconception that all refugees and people seeking asylum come from the same country or practice the same faith. In reality, nothing could be further from the truth.

According to statistics, 65% of all refugees under the UNHCR’s mandate and other people in need of international protection come from four countries: Syria, Venezuela, Ukraine and Afghanistan. These nations are spread across the globe - all representing a variety of different religious and cultural backgrounds.

This highlights a crucial point: people seeking asylum and refugees come from all walks of life - simply put, they are humans in search of safety. In an instant, anyone could be forced to flee their home due to factors beyond their control. Which is why it is so important that we uphold this country's long and proud history of supporting and welcoming those who need protection.

There are many reasons why someone might seek asylum - persecution, conflict, sexual orientation, gender identity, race, religion, nationality or political opinion - none of which are exclusive to a single group.

So, next time you see or hear anyone making sweeping generalisations about society’s most vulnerable people, remember that displacement can happen to anyone - and our first response should always be empathy.

We often hear repeated comments regarding people seeking asylum, like, “Why do they destroy their passports?” Or “Why can’t I go on holiday to another country without my passport?”

First of all, let's start by highlighting the obvious – seeking asylum is nowhere near comparable to going on holiday. People seeking asylum have been through unimaginable trauma whilst fleeing for safety – all for an opportunity to rebuild the lives that were stolen from them.

The destruction of passports is a contentious and harmful point that is often peddled by the far right – a point that doesn’t change the fact that according to the Refugee Convention, people seeking asylum without their documents shouldn't be penalised for it if they present themselves to authorities without delay and show good cause.

Remember, seeking asylum is a human right, not a crime.

Frequent comments we often hear from the far right and in the media are “They should just claim asylum before coming over” or “People crossing the Channel aren’t genuine refugees.”

So let’s debunk these two misguided narratives.

Firstly, it is not possible to claim asylum from outside the UK, and it is nearly impossible to access any resettlement routes, which is why people feel they have no other choice than to undertake these dangerous journeys.

Second, the question of whether someone is “genuine” isn’t for pundits or the public to decide. It is a decision made by assessors at the Home Office – although refused claims are often escalated to the courts, who then review an application.

To put things into perspective: of the initial decisions made in 2024, 47% were grants of protection. Among those who were initially refused, nearly half – 48% – had their appeals allowed.

These figures clearly show that a significant proportion of people seeking asylum are found to be in genuine need of protection – disproving the simplistic and harmful claims pushed by the far right.