MYTH BUSTER

1
MYTH BUSTER

• Resolving the issues about Asylum Seekers and
  Refugees

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

3
Britain Is The Asylum Capital Of The World

• MYTH British people believe that on average the
  UK has 23 of theworlds refugees
• FACT The UK houses under 2 of the worlds
  refugees
• Two thirds of the worlds 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

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

5
Asylum Seekers Abuse The Welfare System

• MYTH Asylum seekers receive large benefits
• FACT Asylum seekers arent 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

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

7
Asylum Seekers Cause Unemployment

• MYTH Some people believe that asylum seekers
  take British jobs away from British people
• FACT Most asylum seekers arent allowed to work
• Some asylum seekers may take casual jobs. These
  jobs may pay a wage below the minimum wage

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

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

10
Myth Campaigns against asylum seekers are
standing up for ordinary working class people

• FACT The campaign against asylum seekers
• wont 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 Thats why trade unions often take the lead
  in fighting racism