Full Fact investigates claims and misinformation about asylum seekers in the UK and beyond.
Our fact checks examine statements from politicians, media reports and social media posts about numbers arriving, government policy, housing, and community impact.
Each article uses transparent data, verified official statistics and expert evidence to clarify what’s accurate, what’s misleading and what’s unproven.
Immigration
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. Read
Immigration
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. Read
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? Read
Immigration
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. Read
Immigration
Asylum seekers have to be destitute to get support and, if eligible, can’t choose what type of housing they get. Read
Immigration
Two thirds of assessed child asylum seekers, but a small proportion of all child asylum seekers, are found to be over 18. Read
Immigration
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? Read
Immigration
The government has a target to take in 23,000 refugees by 2020 from the Middle East and North Africa. Read
Immigration
The UK and France have cooperated on border controls around French ports for years. How much do we spend on doing so? Read
Immigration
How many refugees and asylum seekers are there in the United Kingdom? Read
