What are refugees and

asylum seekers?

Starter

• Watch the 2 clips below.

• YouTube - Coastguards intercepted a boat with African migrants

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SrhzjZiiQR0&feature=player_embedded

• Would you let neither / either / both set of migrants into the UK or Europe?

Asylum seeker or refugee

• ASYLUM SEEKERS are people attempting to enter another country for permanent or temporary residence using the argument that their life would be under threat if they returned to their own country

Asylum seeker or refugee

• REFUGEES are “a person who has been forced to leave home and country because of a well founded fear of political persecution on account of race, religion, social group or political opinion”

• They have to be unwilling or unable to seek the protection of their country

Activity

• Read the definitions for asylum seekers and refugees

• What are the similarities between asylum seekers and refugees?

• What are the differences between asylum seekers and refugees?

The asylum process

• In the UK those waiting to hear the outcome of their claim are known as ASYLUM SEEKERS. their application for asylum has to be accepted by the Home Office, before they are officially granted status of REFUGEE.

• If their asylum application is granted the refugee (since Sept 2005) is initially granted limited leave for 5 years after which their case will be renewed.

• Those granted refugee status before Sept 2005 are allowed to remain indefinitely

If their asylum application is granted the refugee (since Sept 2005) is initially granted limited leave for 5 years after which their case will be renewed.

Those granted refugee status before Sept 2005 are allowed to remain indefinitely

The Immigrant Pathway under UK regulations

In the UK in 2007

• 19% of those applying for asylum were recognised as refugees and given asylum

• 9% who did not qualify were allowed to stay for humanitarian or other reasons

Map showing the sources of refugees

A map showing the destinations of refugees

Year 12

• Times for parents evening

• Scores in last exam Q out of 15

• Medical forms/payments for Shrewsbury

Refugees - trends

• There are 43.7 million people displaced forcibly. Either IDP’s internally displaced from area or their home countries.

• In 2010 there were 15.4 million refugees, most go to their neighbouring countries and 80% are in developing countries.

• Europe hosts 15% of the world’s refugees.• The causes for movement vary but are often

due to conflict, wars, environmental disasters and political persecution.

Refugees in the UK

• In 2010 only 20% of the estimated 15.2 million refugees reached developed countries.

• 2010 – Uk hosted 238,150

• Germany hosted 594,269

• So be aware of media myths!

Refugees in the UK and Europe

• Read p22 – 26 WJEC and make note of the key statistics.• Think about:• Total amount• Causes for movement• Who accepts them?

• Were there any statistics that surprised you?• Why?

What do you think the

consequences are for the UK (an MEDC) of

asylum seekers and refugees?

Attitudes and values of the host population

Opinions vary but racist attitudes are pushed by - The press e.g. The Sun- The British National Party

Other opinions are pushed by the - Council of Europe’s racism commission- The Refugee Council- The Home Office

1. Read Farid Ahmad’s account of his life in Afghanistan. Why did Farid leave Afghanistan?

2. Which countries do the majority of Afghans choose to migrate too?

3. Why do Afghans migrate to these places?

Write these questions down as we will be reading on the board…

Case Study - Afghanistan

Today there are more than 3.7 million Afghan refugees

in the world, according to the United Nations High

Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). But where have

they all gone after leaving Afghanistan?

• Using the web links below answer the questions

An Afghan story

Afghan migration

What are the consequences of the flow of refugees?

YouTube - Mr Bean talk about Immigration

• Read p26 and note down why people become asylum seekers and refugees

• Look at the costs of asylum seeking on destination countries e.g. UK. Pg 26

• Put them in a table under the headings social, economic and environmental (positive and negative) and expand on them.

Add these to your table…

Some consequences of asylum seekers in the UK

• Attitudes and values of the host population• Attitudes and values of the asylum seeker /

refugee population• Housing / shelter• Social effects of locals resenting the newcomers• The problem of detention centres• Impacts still concentrated in particular locations• Repatriation of failed asylum seekers• Impact on schools, health care and welfare

services

Housing / shelter• Accommodation for asylum seekers is provided on a ‘no

choice’ basis through the National Asylum Support Service (NASS) but refugees are eligible for social housing

• The UK Border Agency (UKBA) is responsible for providing accommodation for asylum seekers who would otherwise be destitute while their claim is being considered

• Most pressure is on those places near major airports and ports

• Watch the video clip and list 5 points about housing policy and asylum seekers Butlins and Asylum seekers

Social effects of locals resenting the newcomers

• The fate of asylum seekers has become an issue across the country.

• In Wales failed asylum seekers get free health care unlike those in England.

• Schools take asylum children without any additional funding. This means specialist staff are not always employed.

• Read the following article and explain why.• http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/south_east/

4290859.stm

The problem of detention centres

• There are currently 10 centres for housing failed asylum seekers awaiting deportation in the UK with approximately 2500 spaces.

• In 2007 17,000 people had their asylum applications rejected

• Many people disagree with them.

Quick videos – think about human rights…• YouTube - Channel 4 news, 3rd Sep 2008 -

Keith Vaz• YouTube - it's no right is it

Repatriation of failed asylum seekers

• The backlog has doubled in a year to 9000 cases.

• Failed asylum seekers are offered free flights home, £1000 cash at the airport and £3000 to start enterprises.

• This is seen to be cheaper than forcibly deporting them

Policies to deal with Asylum Seekers

What Policies have been developed to deal with Asylum Seekers and

Refugees?

• Note the policies on p26 27 wjec

• Which policies do you think will be the most effective? Why?

• Which do you think will be the least effective? Why?

• Read the press myths and facts and summarise your findings.

Excellent website…

• http://www.star-network.org.uk/index.php/refugees/index/facts_figures

Impacts still concentrated in particular locations

Scotland

-11,000

(-1%)

London

+922,000

(65%)

South-East

+135,000 (10%)

Rest of England

376,000

(27%)

Wales

+25,000

(2%)

Northern Ireland

-35,000 (-2%)

…… three-quarters of all international migrants head to London and the South-East

Source: ONS

Glasgow, Leeds, Birmingham, Newcastle and Liverpool house the greatest numbers of asylum seekers