Claim that migrants intercepted by rescue ships in the Channel automatically get refugee status misunderstands asylum rules

A post shared over 1,300 times on Facebook claims that migrants crossing the English Channel by small boat automatically get refugee status if they are picked up by rescue ships.

This isn’t correct. In order to receive refugee status, anyone arriving in the UK via small boat must apply for asylum and then have their claim be successful. Being picked up by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) or Border Force does not change this, the Home Office has confirmed.

The post features an image of an RLNI lifeboat and text that claims Border Force and RLNI vessels picking up migrants in the middle of the Channel and bringing them to shore “changes their status to REFUGEES as they are only ILLEGAL if they beach their boats themselves which means they can be returned ASAP”.

A Home Office spokesperson confirmed to Full Fact that being picked up or being rescued at sea does not automatically grant someone refugee status, and that anyone seeking this must apply for asylum when they land.

The majority of those who arrive in the UK via small boat claim asylum. If an asylum claim is successful, the individual will usually get either refugee status as defined in the 1951 Refugee Convention, or humanitarian protection. Both of these mean they can, among other things, work and, if they are eligible, claim benefits.

If the individual arriving by small boat does not make an asylum claim, but also does not qualify to enter the country under immigration rules, they may be refused entry and detained pending removal.

We often see false and misleading claims about immigration and asylum shared on social media. Claims like this can spread quickly and may cause people to form beliefs based on inaccurate information. Our toolkit gives you advice on how to navigate bad information online.