Myths & Facts

Asylum Facts

The following are some key facts about asylum seekers:

Many of those arriving in Scotland are families with children and are fleeing violence and persecution in their own country.
They are coming here because they are vulnerable, we are well equipped to help and a support structure is already in place for all nationalities seeking asylum.
Central government will be meeting the reasonable costs of looking after asylum seekers, so local services will not suffer.
Limited numbers will be moving to each of the locations and their stay will be limited while the Home Office looks at their case for asylum.
Refugees are nothing new. They have been coming to Scotland for hundreds of years and have contributed to the country’s achievements.
Scotland already supports a number of asylum seekers. The arrangements will ensure that arrivals are planned for and controlled.

Asylum Myths

Fears, rumours and half-truths abound in many people’s understanding of the asylum seekers issue. Here, we put the record straight:

They are illegal immigrants rather than people who have genuinely applied for asylum at the port of entry

Many refugees were forced to leave their country illegally, leaving their papers and possessions behind. However unconventional their arrival in the UK they deserve fair consideration of their case. Many of them are eventually granted full refugee status, which means they have demonstrated that they are genuinely in need of our protection.

Britain is swamped with millions of asylum seekers

The UK receives less than 0.5% of the world’s refugees population. In 2008 the UK received only around 25,000 asylum seekers. That’s less than half of the capacity of Hampden. There are currently around 10,000 refugees and asylum seekers in Scotland – around one-fifth of the capacity of Hampden.

They are being given a high standard of housing while locals are homeless and living in run-down homes

Council taxpayers’ money is not used to house asylum seekers therefore local people are not being disadvantaged. Asylum seekers are provided with housing (usually a flat) with basic furnishing while their claim for asylum is decided. After they are granted refugee status they enter the homeless system on the same terms any other person in Scotland. We are meeting our obligations under international law to treat asylum seekers fairly and decently.

Asylum seekers are taking our jobs and benefit payments

Asylum seekers are not allowed to work until they are granted refugee status. They receive only about 70% of UK benefit levels.

They will jump the queue for housing

Councils house asylum seekers in properties that do not have a waiting list and are readily available. Many will be placed in private housing. Once a person has refugee status they can enter the homelessness system on the same terms as any Scottish person to get a permanent home.

If we gave them less they’d stay away

This is not so – many faced persecution or death if they remained in their own country and had no alternative but to seek asylum. They should not be punished further by being allowed to simply exist in this country. There is no evidence to suggest that asylum seekers come here in order to live off benefits, in fact many expect to have to work to support themselves.

They’ll never be like us and we risk losing our identity

Asylum seekers and refugees are ordinary people in extraordinary situations. Many of the things we take for granted came from abroad. For example, Russian immigrants introduced fish and chips to the UK in the 19th century. Asylum seekers and refugees enhance Scotland’s cultural diversity.

They come to the UK because of the Benefit system

Home Office research in 2002 revealed that asylum seekers do not have advance knowledge of UK welfare system and very often don’t know that the UK is their destination. Most expect to have to work to support themselves.

Scotland has no capacity to accept new citizens

Over 2 million UK citizens went to live abroad between 1991 and 2000. Some economists and demographers argue that Scotland’s population is set to go into terminal decline by 2031. Migration from the European Union in recent years has prevented our population dipping below 5 million, but it is unclear whether even this is enough to reverse our decline. Population decline is a big concern for Scottish Government and COSLA. In fact Scottish Government argue that growing our population is vital to ensuring Scotland’s future economic success.