Asylum Seekers and the Press

Facts Versus Myths in the Reporting of Asylum Seekers Coming to the UK

The media would have us believe that "floods" of "bogus" asylum seekers, "benefit scroungers who are abusing our hospitality" are "swamping Britain". This negative language about asylum seekers and immigrants results in their dehumanisation, and is turning into the ugliest of all prejudices: racism. Here are some of the most common media myths nailed with simple facts.

Myth: "Britain receives more than its share of refugees"

Fact: Many other European countries receive more refugee claimants than the UK, which in 1999 had around 74,000 applications. The number of asylum applications per 1,000 people brings the UK down to 9th place in Europe. In 1999, Liechtenstein received the highest ratio of asylum seekers - 16.3 per 1,000 inhabitants, followed by Luxembourg (6.8), Switzerland (6.5), Belgium (3.5) and the Netherlands (2.5). The UK ratio for 1999 was 1.5 asylum seekers per 1,000 inhabitants and Germany's was 1.16 (source: United Nations High Commission for Refugees). The majority of the world's refugees come from - and remain in - countries of the South. The following countries have each been hosting over a quarter of a million uprooted people in 1998, when around 58,000 asylum seekers reached Britain: Iran received 1.9 million refugees; Jordan received 1.4 million; Pakistan received 1.2 million refugees. The Gaza Strip had 746,000, Yugoslavia (FR) had 550,000 refugees and the US had 491,000 applications for asylum in 1998, followed by Guinea (430,000), Sudan (365,000), Russian Federation (324,000) and Ethiopia (313,000), (source: US Committee on Refugees). Britain receives less than 1% of the world refugee population.

Myth: "The majority of asylum claims in the UK are bogus"

Fact: More than half (54%) of decisions in 1999 resulted in protection being granted. The real figure, once successful appeals are taken into account, will be even higher. Most asylum seekers are refused not because their cases are bogus, but because they travelled through other countries on their way to Britain or because of lack of information and good legal advice.

Myth: " Thousands of asylum seekers disappear after they are refused"

Fact: Thousands of refused asylum seekers are being deported and removed from the UK every year. In 1999 37,665 persons were removed and deported. Many of them were sent back into the hands of their persecutors.

Myth: "They come here to claim our generous benefits"

Fact: This is the most common allegation against asylum seekers and refugees. Apart from being false, this statement is utterly offensive and racist. The belief that people claim asylum in the UK so they can live on benefits 30% below those considered good enough for UK citizens is laughable. It implies that they do not deserve better because of who they are and where they are from, and that 'our' poverty is too good for them. Asylum seekers are entitled only to the equivalent of 70% of Income Support and even this will be in the form of humiliating vouchers. In addition, asylum seekers are not allowed to apply for work for the first six months after their arrival and if they are waiting for an appeal they are also prohibited from working.

Myth: "Refugees who come to the UK using false documents are bogus"

Fact: For many refugees fleeing persecution or death, a false travel document is the only means of escape. Often governments refuse to issue passports to known political dissidents - or imprison them if they apply. The fact that asylum seekers use false travel documents tells us nothing about whether the person is a refugee or not. Because refugees often cannot obtain all the necessary papers, Article 31 of the Geneva Convention prohibits governments from penalising refugees who use false documents. Most governments, including the UK, require travellers to have visas, creating an enormous obstacle for refugees trying to escape persecution. The more governments put up measures to stop people travelling to their territory, the more refugees are forced to use false documents and turn to smugglers to help them escape.

Myth: "Gypsies are economic migrants abusing the system"

Fact: Refugees are people who have been forced to flee

their homes by human rights abuses and all deserve the chance to start a new life. To say that some are less deserving than others is to say that some human beings are of less value than others. Article 14 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights states: ãEveryone has the right to seek and to enjoy in other countries asylum from persecutionä.

Myth: "Asylum seekers are a burden on the economyä

Fact: The Government's own report for 1999-2000 shows that the cost of supporting asylum seekers, including legal aid, welfare benefits, housing, health, and education was £597 million or £10.15 per head of population per year or 0.17% of total Government's spending. (Hansard, 12 April 2000, 227W). Statistics on number of asylum seekers who are working and contributing to the economy are not available.

Myth: "More immigration leads to an increase in crime"

Fact: There is no connection between immigration and crime. Asylum seekers are just people like anyone else - a few end up in jail, most are law-abiding. They are themselves victims of physical and verbal abuse and racist attacks. The real scandal is that thousands of asylum seekers are locked up every year in detention centres and prisons while their cases are decided - even though they have committed no crime.

Myth: "The asylum system is a shambles"

Fact: The asylum system is a shambles, but to blame asylum seekers for that would be the same as blaming all those who are ill and injured for the problems of NHS. The Government is now facing a backlog of more than 100,000 claims. It is spending additional money, time and resources to keep asylum seekers isolated, excluded and poor in order to score cheap political points with 'middle England'.

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