Refugees, Asylum Seekers and Migrants – How do they differ?

You will have undoubtedly heard the terms ‘refugee’, ‘asylum seeker’ and ‘migrant’ used before, especially with the increased coverage in the mainstream media over the past few years. Sometimes these terms are used interchangeably and often incorrectly.

Do you know what the difference is between these?

In this article, Elizabeth Long, Partnerships & Programmes Manager from partner charity Refugee, Asylum Seeker & Migrant Action, discusses the difference between these and busts some of the common myths about them too.

Refugees

Anyone who has received permission from UK government to remain in the UK as it is recognised that they need protection has the technical status ‘refugee’ (under Article 51 of UN Convention relating to the status of Refugees). They have same rights as UK citizens, including permission to work, to claim benefits and to access healthcare.

Resettlement schemes such as Syrian Vulnerable Person Resettlement Programme (now closed) allowed Syrians to be brought here who automatically received refugee status. Similar schemes for Afghans have seen 34,000 arrive since 2021 (half of these within the first few months of operation). People on these routes, like others with refugee status, are allowed to apply for family reunification for spouse and children. However, these routes (the ‘safe and legal routes’ referred to by government officials) now only take a VERY small number of applicants.

Asylum Seekers

Those who have arrived in UK and have asked for protection are asylum seekers until they receive a positive decision that grants them refugee status. While waiting, people languish in limbo, unable to work, contribute or pay taxes; and they survive on minimal benefits.

Many of our clients have crossed the channel by boat. These people are not illegal. The right to seek asylum is an internationally recognised legal right. There is no obligation to claim asylum in first safe country reached. People choose to come to the UK for many reasons: having family here, the fact that they speak some English, or they believe this is a place that will treat them with dignity and protect their human rights. It is categorically NOT that they believe they will be given generous handouts – the UK’s deliberately hostile asylum system ensures this is not the case, and most have no access to information about UK rules and processes.

The reason there are asylum seekers in hotels is not because the numbers are increasing hugely (they are currently at the level they were in 2002, though there were many years of lower numbers in between), it because the processing of applications has slowed so much. Five years ago, 80% of claims were decided within six months; in recent years this percentage dropped to single figures before increasing again with the current government. This is the cause of the growing backlog.) Moreover, it is not the case that ‘everybody wants to come to UK’. In terms of asylum applications: when measured per head of population the UK is 14th on the list of European countries.

The UK government maintains that an individual can only claim asylum in the UK if they are on British soil: therefore, in most cases, the only way for those fleeing war and persecution is to arrive in an irregular way, then claim asylum.

If you come from Afghanistan, Sudan, Yemen, Syria, it is impossible to get a visa because there is no functioning British Embassy in these countries. For others, who are from persecuted minorities, approaching an Embassy may result in unwanted attention from local authorities.) Until there are more safe, legal routes, people will continue to be at the mercy of people smugglers and to undertake dangerous crossings.

Asylum accommodation

People who arrive have no control over where they are sent to dispersal housing by the Home Office but are distributed around the country while their claims are considered, to local authorities who can take them. These asylum seekers live with the mental strain of not knowing when their claims will be considered, how long they might be waiting and whether they will be removed at any point to a detention centre run by HM Prison Service, if officials believe that they are in line for forced return. This is obviously highly stressful.

Their accommodation is usually private housing contracted by the government, and is sometimes inadequate (bad quality, dirty, mouldy, lacking necessities such as heating) and not well-equipped by providers, e.g. without bed linen or utensils).

The myth that asylum seekers receive generous handouts is widely and erroneously believed. They get financial support of about £49 per week: an allowance on a debit card (an ASPEN card). If in a hotel and provided with food (usually very poor quality), they receive only £9 per week on the ASPEN card.

The cost to the taxpayer forms a core line in anti-migrant rhetoric. The billions of pounds spent in recent years has gone to these housing providers: our local provider has made 10s of millions of pounds profit in the past couple of years and its director has joined the Times Rich List.

For asylum seekers who receive a positive decision (and therefore refugee status), their financial support will stop, and they have 28 days to find their own accommodation and to apply for benefits such a universal credit before being evicted from HO accommodation. This results in people become homeless, or at the least struggling to cope with the numerous new responsibilities they must cope with to adapt to independent life in the UK.

Migrants

There are increasing numbers of people from overseas who have complex situations and for whom there is no automatic recourse to support services in this country. These include victims of trafficking or modern slavery, victims of domestic abuse, people who have been duped by bogus ‘skilled worker’ routes, EU citizens without settled status, students on expired visas, and more.

While there may be some access to some government support for some of these people, there are many, many ways in which they are disenfranchised, marginalised and vulnerable. At RAMA we approach everyone as a human being and do our best to resolve the issues in front of us: practical, legal and emotional.

About RAMA

RAMA supports several thousand people who have sought sanctuary in this country. There are people from 130 countries: Refugees, Asylum Seekers and Vulnerable Migrants. Each group has very specific needs. In addition, they are partnered with our local council working with the Ukrainians here on the H4U scheme.

Learn more about RAMA and the work they do at https://rama.org.uk/

To help support refugees, asylum seeker or migrants who cannot afford to clothe themselves and their families, please consider donating to Clothing Collective, so we can provide charities like RAMA with charity shop gift cards.