Join MENTER

Read the latest newsletter

According to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights every human in the world enjoys the right to seek and claim asylum from persecution.

However you are entitled to ask questions about the impact of the arrival of migrants, asylum seekers and refugees in your local area.  The answers that you receive on these questions should be factually, but there may have been local opinion or pieces in the media that were not.

You may have suggestions on how local communities and migrants, asylum seeker and refugees can live more happily together.

Below you will find some information on immigration, refugees and asylum seekers, as gathered by the 1City project, which is managed by MENTER in Peterborough. By working with volunteers as community champions it aims to create an arena for rational debate and give an opportunity to the host communities to ask genuine questions and receive factual response.  It also aims to create an understanding between communities, as well as an understanding of the issues that refugees and asylum seekers face.

Frequently asked questions with regards to migrant workers (leaflet by South Holland CAB)

Definitions

Some economic statistics with regards to refugees, asylum seekers and immigrants

External Links

• DCLG Combating Misinformation Toolkit
• EERA Strategic Migration Partnership
• Refugee Council
• VSRN-EE (Voluntary Sector Refugee Network East of England)

Migrant Workers Truth or Myth?

This leaflet has been produced to give you the facts about the rights of foreign nationals in England. It gives the answers to some commonly asked questions about migrant workers.

It answers questions like:

• What is the difference between Migrants, Illegal Immigrants and Asylum Seekers?
• Why are they here?
• Do they get more benefits?
• Can they get extra benefits e.g. for vehicles?
• What rights do they have to housing?

Click here to download the leaflet

This document has been developed under the auspices of the South Holland District Council, Lincolnshire County Council, Lincolnshire Police ( Immigration) and Jobcentre Plus by South Holland Citizens Advice Bureau. We are very grateful to them that we are allowed to publish it on our website.

Back to top

Definitions

Asylum seeker
Someone who:

• is fleeing persecution in their homeland
• has arrived in another country
• Has made themselves known to the authorities
• Has applied for asylum (a legal right)

Refugee
Someone:

• whose asylum application has been successful
• has proved they would face persecution back home
• is allowed to stay in the country

Failed asylum seeker
Someone:

• whose asylum application has been  turned down
• is awaiting return to their country If it is not safe to return, they may have to stay for the time being.

Illegal immigrant
Someone who:

• has arrived in another country
• intentionally not made themselves known to the authorities
• or has stayed longer than allowed
• has no legal right to be here.

Economic migrant

Someone who has moved to another country to work.

Some economic statistics with regards to refugees, asylum seekers and immigrants

• 33% of refugees have a degree / post graduate / professional qualification (only 15% of UK citizens) *
• 66% of Asylum seekers had a job in their own country; over 50% working in a profession, as a manager or a business owner *
• 65% of Asylum seekers can speak at least 2 additional languages (only 18% of UK citizens) *
• 2-3,000 refugee doctors in the UK (BNA estimate 2003); 80% of doctors not practising because of costs (£1,000 for medical & English exams. Costs £200,000 to train doctor from scratch.
• People born outside the UK pay 10% more into the economy than they take out - £2.5 billion in 1999 – 2000 (Home Office study)
• 60% of Asylum Seekers are under age of 30 years – UK desperately needs more people of working age to support population increasingly overloaded with pensioners

* Home Office study of those with ELR 1995

Back to top