How we can we tell people the facts about migration and asylum seekers?
What is the best way to do this? Beer mats? social media? leaflets?
At our workshop on 30th November 2024 we agreed that leaflets are not the answer and we need to do more to engage young people.
Some Resources
Barnsley has around 267 asylum seekers, (as of July 2024), living in dispersed accommodation across the Borough. Dispersed just means they are in multiple areas, not just one area or town. There are currently NO Asylum hotels in Barnsley. The best place to find and compare factual data is the Migration Yorkshire website: Statistics | Migration Yorkshire
This data dashboard allows you to compare Barnsley, regionally and nationally with other local authority’s asylum numbers and resettled refugees.
In Barnsley, the homes asylum seekers live in are owned or leased by Mears PLC – a public limited company employed by the Government to provide homes for asylum seekers in certain parts of the Country, including Yorkshire & Humber. Asylum seekers have NO access to council housing and are not allowed to join the housing register. They are NOT entitled to ANY benefit payments and receive a ‘subsistence allowance’ each week from the Government.
Resettling refugees who have indefinite leave to remain, are different to asylum seekers. Refugees arrive on approved Government resettlement schemes such as the Afghan Relocation and Assistance Program. This means local authorities are given grant funding to help them resettle, find a home, employment, and access health care.
Not all refugees have indefinite leave to remain; those who come from Ukraine have a visa with an end date. This means they must re-apply if they wish to stay in the country longer. This creates uncertainty and can make resettling much harder to achieve.
If you are interested in migration, both locally and nationally, there are a number of factual websites available:
British Red Cross
- What is an asylum seeker? | Myth Busting | British Red Cross
- Are asylum seekers and refugees living on easy street? (redcross.org.uk)
City of Sanctuary
Migration Observatory
- Migrants in the UK: An Overview – Migration Observatory – The Migration Observatory (ox.ac.uk)
- Asylum and refugee resettlement in the UK – Migration Observatory – The Migration Observatory (ox.ac.uk)
Refugee Action
Refugee Council
UNHCR
First hand accounts/asylum stories
VOICES Network | British Red Cross
Digital Myth Busters (Communities Inc)
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There is so much in the news about migration in the UK, we thought it would be helpful to focus on what is happening locally. This leaflet provides facts about asylum seekers, refugees, and migrant workers in Barnsley. We have also included links to reliable sources for more information.
Learn the facts, share the truth.
What is an asylum seeker?
An asylum seeker is someone who has had to leave their home country because they fear being harmed due to things like their race, religion, nationality, or political beliefs. When they arrive in a new country, they ask for permission to stay legally while their situation is reviewed. Seeking asylum is a basic human right protected by international law.
What is a refugee?
A refugee is someone who has been granted permission to stay in a new country because their asylum request was successful. They have proven that returning to their home country would put them at serious risk. Refugees have the same rights as people who have lived in the UK permanently.
What is a migrant?
A migrant is someone who moves from one country to another, often for work or education. This move can be temporary or permanent.
Myth – “Barnsley is overpopulated by asylum seekers and refugees.”
The fact – Between the years 2011 and 2021, the population in Barnsley only increased by 5.8% – that is 13,400 people – just 1,340 a year! According to the 2021 Census, 225,400 Barnsley people said they were born in England, that is 92.3% of the total population. For more information, visit the Census website.
Myth – “Barnsley is flooded with asylum seekers who contribute nothing and take all the council housing.”
The fact – As of June 2024, 270 asylum seekers are living in various accommodations across Barnsley, which is less than 0.25% of the total population. There are no asylum hotels in Barnsley. By law, asylum seekers cannot apply for benefits, work, or join the social housing register. Private companies provide all housing for asylum seekers. This is MEARS Group PLC in Barnsley. Asylum seekers have no say in where they live. They receive a subsistence allowance directly from the Government, not from local authorities. For more information, visit the Migration Yorkshire website.
Myth – “They only come here for the benefits.”
The fact – Asylum seekers are not allowed to work, and migrants are less likely to claim benefits or live in social housing compared to people born in the UK. Data shows that most migrants come to the UK to work, not to claim benefits. For more details, check out the Migration Observatory
MYTH – “They are all coming here from Afghanistan.”
The fact – The most common countries of origin for people moving to Barnsley from abroad are Poland, Romania, India, Pakistan, and Slovakia. This suggests that Barnsley is attracting working-age migrants from mainly Eastern European and South Asian countries. Check this out at www.migrationyorkshire.org.uk
Myth – “Muslims have taken over in Barnsley, and most don’t even speak English.”
The fact – Migration has contributed to the diversity of languages, religions, and cultures in Barnsley. According to the 2021 Census, 9.4 % of the population of Barnsley spoke a main language other than English, compared to 21.2% for England as a whole. The proportion of people who identified as Muslim in Barnsley was 0.6 % that is an increase of just 0.2% in ten years. There is only one mosque in Barnsley, and many Muslims travel to Leeds or Bradford to meet their faith needs. Check this out at: www.ons.gov.uk/census
Myth – “Mixed communities will never work.”
The fact – Migration has also influenced communities in Barnsley. According to the Community Life Survey 2021-22, 84 % of people agreed that their local area is a place where people from diverse backgrounds get on well together. 63 % of people felt they belonged to their neighbourhood, compared to 58 % in 2020-21. Check this out at: www.gov.uk/government/statistics/community-life-survey-202122/community-life-survey-202122-neighbourhood-and-community
Myth – “Immigrants are responsible for all the local crime.”
The fact – The Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) says that offending rates among migrant communities are in line with the general population. However, migrants are more likely to be victims of crime, suffering harassment in the community and discrimination in the workplace. Find out more about this here: www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/crimeandjustice/bulletins/crimeinenglandandwales/yearendingmarch2024