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Tell it like it is: Refugee agencies urge political parties to tell the truth about asylum during the election campaign

22 February 2005

On the day that official figures are expected to show that asylum claims
are down by more than 60 per cent from the peak of 2002, refugee agencies have come together to call for all parties to campaign on this issue in a calm and sensitive way, using facts and figures, not myths and scare stories.

Refugee Action has teamed up with the Refugee Council, the Scottish
Refugee Council, the Welsh Refugee Council and STAR (Student Action for
Refugees), to launch a pocket guide for anyone who wants to have the facts about asylum at their fingertips during the general election campaign.

'Tell It Like It Is': The Truth About Asylum

The agencies hope that the guide will be carried around by parliamentary candidates, party workers and anyone else taking part in the campaign, so
that when the asylum issue comes up on the doorstep or in meetings they
will have reliable information available in a handy format to counter the myths that are so widespread.

Sandy Buchan, Chief Executive of Refugee Action, said:
“Asylum applications have fallen dramatically in the last few years and we would like to see parliamentary candidates concentrating on improving the current system and challenging the myths and misconceptions. We would encourage anyone involved in this campaign to carry a copy of the handbook so that they have easy access to accurate information.”