Facts on Asylum seekers and refugees

Can refugees enter the UK illegally?

Boris Johnson said if you come to the UK illegally, you are an illegal migrant. This is not correct in the case of refugees.

How many refugees does the UK take in?

A number of EU countries have granted asylum to more refugees than the UK in recent years.

This image on benefits for pensioners and refugees is not correct

What’s the difference between the benefits pensioners, ‘illegal immigrants’ and refugees can claim?

Do refugees have to stay in the first safe country they reach?

No. But the UK can, in some circumstances, return refugees to the first safe EU country they reached under EU law.

We factchecked a viral video on asylum seekers

Asylum seekers have to be destitute to get support and, if eligible, can’t choose what type of housing they get.

How many child asylum seekers are found to be adults?

Two thirds of assessed child asylum seekers, are found to be over 18, but only a small proportion of children seeking asylum are assessed over their age.

Who gets more, pensioners or refugees?

What’s the difference between what pensioners, ‘illegal immigrants’ and refugees can claim?

Two UK schemes have resettled 11,000 Syrian refugees

Just over 10,000 refugees from the Syrian conflict have been resettled via a government scheme since September 2015.

How much is the UK spending on security at Calais?

The UK and France have cooperated on border controls around French ports for years. How much do we spend on doing so?

Refugees in the UK

How many refugees and asylum seekers are there in the United Kingdom?