Thursday, January 28, 2010

Many refugees come to the UK out of chance, not by choice

A new report report published by the Refugee Council shows that the assumption that refugees come to UK seeking benefits is a dangerous myth. In reality they may have little choice over where they seek asylum.

“The term ‘choice’ is a contentious one when applied to the forced migration of asylum seekers.”- Professor Heaven Crawley, director of the Centre for Migration and Policy

Over two-thirds of the asylum seekers that participated in the study did not choose to come to the UK. It is only once they had fled their home countries that they came to discover that they were being taken to the UK.

The study by Professor Heaven Crawley, director of the Centre for Migration Policy at Swansea University, was based on in-depth interviews with 43 asylum seekers that included people from Eritrea, Democratic Republic of Congo, Zimbabwe, Afghanistan and Sri Lanka.

  • The study showed that conflict is the single most significant factor associated with the decision to leave for most asylum seekers.
  • Many of them, especially those that were persecuted because of their religious activities, commented on the importance of human rights in the UK.
  • Others, who had suffered from discrimination because of their ethnic or religious identity emphasised that the UK practiced religious and ethnic tolerance.
  • Approximately two-thirds of participants paid up to £15,000 for the services of an agent.
  • These agents provide a variety of services from making arrangements for travel documents for the journey and accompanying the asylum seeker to the UK.

The report challenges the myths of ‘asylum shopping’

Approximately three-quarters of the asylum seekers who participated in the study had no knowledge of welfare benefits before coming to the UK. The majority of respondents came from countries that lack well-developed welfare systems and did not expect to be supported in Britain. Most of them disapprove of the welfare system.

Right to work?

Around 90% of the asylum seekers that arrived in the UK as adults were employed in their home countries and expected to work once they came to Britain. They held a belief that they would be able to work and support themselves and their families. Asylum seekers want to work and make a useful contribution to the UK. However, since 2002 the Government has refused permission for everyone claiming asylum to work.

There is no evidence to suggest that welfare and work act as ‘pull factors’ for asylum seekers

The report criticises the misperception held by many policy makers that asylum seekers are economic migrants who make choices about where they seek asylum based on opportunities for employment and access to welfare benefits. It argues that there is no clear evidence of a casual relationship between changes in asylum policies and the level of asylum applications.

The findings of the report suggest that these misperceptions are not only unfounded, but can also have a negative effect on the experiences many asylum seekers in the UK:

‘Politicians and policymakers should refrain from arguing that asylum seekers are drawn to the UK by certain ‘pull factors’ such as access to welfare and benefit systems… These myths are perpetuated and exacerbated by the media and can result in racism and discrimination…’

Download the report here:

Chance or Choice: understanding why asylum seekers come to the UK

Posted by Communications on 28/01/2010 at 04:15 PM
in Refugee News  

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