This resource addresses some of the most common myths and misconceptions about refugees, asylum seekers and migrants in the UK. Drawing on credible data, it sets out the facts to help build understanding and counter misinformation.
“We’re a small country — we can’t take everyone.”
It is understandable to be concerned about resources — but the UK actually takes in far fewer refugees than many other countries, despite being the 6th richest country in the world.
According to the UN, the vast majority of the world’s refugees are hosted by developing countries, not wealthy ones like the UK. Countries like Turkey, Pakistan, and Uganda host millions — while the UK hosts just over 1% of the world’s refugees.
We are not “full.” The UK has the space, wealth, and infrastructure to offer safety to people fleeing war and persecution. What’s often lacking is political will — not capacity. Being one of the wealthiest countries in the world means that we can support those who need help, whether they are from the UK or originated from somewhere else, but we have to be clear with our politicians that they are responsible for how wealth is distributed in society. We mustn’t let them pull the wool over our eyes by blaming migrants.
“Migrants just come here to live off benefits.”
This is a common myth — but it’s not true.
Most migrants come to work, not to claim benefits. In fact, they’re statistically less likely to claim benefits than British citizens.
Refugees often arrive with nothing, and yet many go on to start businesses, work in vital industries, and contribute far more in taxes than they ever take out. The NHS, construction, care work, food production — all rely heavily on migrants to function.
Focusing on people who come here to rebuild their lives does nothing to solve poverty or fix our economy. Blaming the most vulnerable distracts from the real issues that governments should be addressing.
“Why don’t they stay and fight for their country?”
Imagine your home is bombed. Your neighbours are killed. Your government is persecuting you for your ethnicity or beliefs. No-one wants their children growing up in that environment, and we can all empathise with parents who would do anything to protect their loved ones.
Refugees don’t flee because they want to — they flee because they have no choice. Many of them have fought for their countries – sometimes to support British troops overseas. Others are fleeing regimes where dissent is met with imprisonment, torture, or death.
Leaving your home, often making dangerous journeys and then having to build a life somewhere you may not speak the language or understand how things work – that takes real bravery.
“I feel like they get housing and support before British people.”
Housing shortages are real — and they affect everyone. But refugees are not the cause of this crisis.
Only around 0.2% of social housing goes to refugees – that’s two in every thousand. The real cause of the housing crisis is decades of underinvestment and poor policy decisions — not migration.
Pitting struggling locals against refugees fuels division. We should be angry at policies that fail to fund housing, not at the people who are just trying to survive.
Tax Justice UK estimates that large companies avoid paying over £388 billion pounds in tax per year – this is money that could go towards housing, health care and other vital resources. https://taxjustice.uk/blog/a-third-of-global-tax-dodging-is-enabled-by-the-uk-and-british-overseas-territories/
“They should come through the proper channels.”
We hear this a lot — but here’s the truth: for most refugees, there are no safe or legal routes to apply for asylum in the UK.
People fleeing war zones like Syria, Afghanistan, or Sudan often have no embassy or safe path to apply through. UK law requires someone to be on British soil to claim asylum — which is why many people take dangerous journeys.
If we want to stop small boats, the answer is to create safe routes that people can use.
Asylum seekers make up 7% of migrants in this country but take up most of the headlines – most migrants make costly immigration applications to come here to work, join families or study.
“Charities only care about migrants, not British people.”
At Voices we care about everyone. In fact, our work helps make the UK stronger — economically, socially, and morally.
By supporting migrants and refugees, we’re standing up for compassion, justice, and human dignity — values that benefit all of us.
And many migrants are British. Refugees who settle here raise families, pay taxes, and become proud, active members of their communities. Our country is better for it. Without immigrants our public services would not be able to function. More than 17% of all NHS staff are from overseas, rising to 27% (or around 100,000 people) for nurses, the lifeblood of the NHS.
About 1,200 medically qualified refugees are recorded on the British Medical Association’s database. It is estimated that it costs around £25,000 to support a refugee doctor to practise in the UK, whereas training a new doctor is estimated to cost between £200,000 and £250,000.
While British natives generally use a greater share of public finances by being born and educated here, most migrants move to this country once they are of working age. The Office of Budget Responsibility has projected that the average migrant, who moves to this country at the age of 25 and lives until 80, will contribute £341,000 to public finances over the course of their lives – more than the average UK born citizen. Compared to the average UK adult, skilled worker migrant tax receipts were approximately £4,100 higher, providing a much-needed boost to the Treasury. And if immigrants are unemployed, they are less likely than UK-born citizens to claim unemployment benefits - 22% compared to 31%.
“What do migrants actually bring to the UK?”
So much. Here’s a snapshot:
- The NHS would collapse without them — nearly 1 in 5 NHS workers are from overseas.
- Entrepreneurship — migrants are twice as likely to start businesses.
- Cultural richness — from food to music to sport, migrants shape the best of Britain.
- Demographic balance — as the UK population ages, we need young workers to keep the economy moving.
“But shouldn’t we look after our own first?”
Welcoming refugees doesn’t mean turning our backs on struggling communities — it means building a fairer society for everyone. Solidarity isn’t a zero-sum game: one person’s gain is not equal to another person’s loss. Supporting refugees is not at the expense of others, it is part of creating a society that helps all of those in need and benefits everyone – and migrants are particularly beneficial for the UK.
Final thought
Behind every refugee is a person — a parent, a teacher, a student, a neighbour — who just wants to live in safety and dignity.
The same system that fails vulnerable British people is the one that mistreats migrants. We believe in fixing that system — not scapegoating its victims.
At Voices, we believe that welcoming migrants doesn’t weaken us. It defines us. And it reflects the best of who we are.