Asylum seekers and refugees

Fact checks about refugees and asylum seekers in the UK

28 August 2019

Can refugees enter the UK illegally?

Refugees can’t be penalised for entering illegally if they are claiming asylum and coming from a place where their life or freedom are threatened.

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16 August 2019

How many refugees does the UK take in?

The UK “resettled” more refugees than any other EU country in 2017 and 2018, but several EU countries have granted asylum to more refugees overall in that time than the UK has.

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31 January 2019

This image on benefits for pensioners and refugees is not correct

This viral image claims that pensioners can collect just a fifth of the benefits ‘illegal immigrants’ and refugees can. But how much can each group really get?

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22 September 2020

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

Refugees are not required to seek asylum in the first safe country they reach. But under EU law they can sometimes be returned to the first safe EU country they reached.

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11 January 2019

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.

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24 April 2018

How many child asylum seekers are found to be adults?

Two thirds of assessed child asylum seekers, but a small proportion of all child asylum seekers, are found to be over 18.

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19 April 2018

Who gets more, pensioners or refugees?

This viral image claims that pensioners can collect just a fifth of what ‘illegal immigrants’ and refugees can. But how much can each group really get?

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23 February 2018

Two UK schemes have resettled 11,000 Syrian refugees

The government has a target to take in 23,000 refugees by 2020 from the Middle East and North Africa.

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19 January 2018

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?

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6 March 2017

Refugees in the UK

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

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