Many asylum seekers could make a valuable contribution to this country. For example, the British Medical Journal (BMJ) estimate that between 500-2000 doctors are refugees (see here), who come to our country already trained. According to the BMJ, while it costs an estimated £200,000 to train a new doctor, refugee doctors can be accredited to practise in Britain at an average cost of £3,500 (see here).
This is also simply not true. See the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees’ (UNHCR) report (pdf format) for a firm rebuttal of this claim. The UNHCR found that although of all EU countries* the UK entertains most asylum applications in absolute terms, in terms of asylum applications per head of population we come eighth (2002 ranking). The UK hosts significantly fewer asylum applications than developing countries such as Pakistan (2.2 million), Iran (1.9 million) and Afghanistan (1.2 million), based on Home Office 2002 figures. Developing countries that do not have the economic or social stability of the UK have a far greater burden to bear than ourselves. In relation to either national population or GNP per capita, the UK does not even enter the top ten countries hosting refugees and asylum seekers. The UNHCR report found that the top ten refugee host countries are Iran, Pakistan, Germany, Tanzania, US, Serbia and Montenegro, Democratic Republic of Congo, Sudan, China and Armenia.
*statistics exclude Italy, as data is not yet available.
The UK is many things, but soft on asylum applications it is not. In the second quarter of 2004, 89% of asylum applications were refused (see here). The are stringent requirements that need to be met before refugee status is granted. Consider Cameroon, a West African country, where torture is widespread. A Medical Foundation report showed that of 60 Cameroonians treated in 2000-20001, almost all had been subjected to beatings from truncheons, 93% of women and 33% of men subjected to rape or other sexual assaults, 30% given electric shocks and 23% suspended in contorted positions. Amazingly, Britain had a refusal rate of 81% in 2000 and 88% in 2001 of Cameroonians. These figures simply do not fit the claims that have been made.
The report cited was conducted by the Medical Foundation (2003), named Torture: A daily routine. See www.torturecare.org.uk.
A single person aged 25 or over receives £38.96 a week in support, and is given ‘human habitable housing’. This housing includes safe electrical equipment, furniture to a reasonable standard, signposting to local services, and utilities (gas, electricity and water). Some have claimed that asylum seekers are given free mobile telephones. This is not true; the National Asylum Support Service (NASS) does not require asylum seekers even have access to a landline telephone. Some have claimed they are given free televisions or hi-fi equipment, new furniture or discounted cars, computers, cleaning... the list goes on. This website will not point fingers at those making these claims, but will try to state the facts plainly. The NASS requires none of these provisions be made for asylum seekers. Please see the Home Office Documentation (pdf) for the information source for this paragraph.
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