Asylum Seekers and Illegal Immigrants

Known as 'overstayers' or 'aliens', their numbers are rising within the UK, but the exact figure is unknown. Around half of the people who apply for asylum, are in need of protection, and are not safe in their own country. Others want to work here legally AND pay tax but are denied this and they then feel they have to work illegally.

But why is it illegal? It isn't really; they are allowed to enter the Uk under the 1951 Convention on Refugees. Everyone has the right to apply for asylum in the Uk. The immigrants are permitted to stay in the Uk until a final decision is made on whether they are allowed to stay or not.

To be given asylum in the Uk, the applicant needs to have a well-founded fear of persecution because of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion. Then numbers of people applying for asylum have more than doubled since 1996.

However, this only applies to those who seek asylum, more than half of immigrants entering the Uk either dodge officials entirely or say they intend seek asylum at a later date. [It is worth mentioning that a number of people confuse immigrants and asylum seekers - ed] There are many who do not, but choose to work and live in the UK without paying taxes. They illegally get hold of a National Insurance number or they get a Uk citizen to marry them - which then entitles them to work in the Uk. Some may have been smuggled into the country and are being held against their wishes - forcing them into prostitution or sweated labour. Others want to work here legally AND pay tax but are denied this and they then feel they have to work illegally.

- By MC

When many people hear the words ‘asylum seekers’ they immediately think of illegal Immigrants, this however is not the case. Asylum Seekers have a legal right to be here, this has come about by the 1951 Geneva Convention and the Universal Declaration for Human Rights.

This gives people who are escaping persecution or danger in their country the right to seek asylum safety in another country. When they enter the country by the back of a lorry or with no valid papers, this is classed as illegally entering but they still have a legal right to be in the country and they can stay until their case has been resided.

Many people also think that asylum seekers are just here to get benefits. This is not the case as they are legally banned from working. If allowed to work they would cut skills shortages and pay £100 million in taxes each year. In actual fact, Asylum Seekers actually get 30% less benefit money than British Citizens. They have to live on £38 a week.

They also get allocated into properties that are ‘hard-to-let properties’ that nobody else wants, this is also based on a ‘no-choice’ basis.

Many famous people are survivors of this system; Albert Einstein, Mr Marks (Marks and Sparks), Lomana Lua Lua and even the Queens husband Prince Philip.

Many Asylum Seekers actually come from countries such as; Iran, Iraq, China, Zimbabwe and Somalia. These are countries where there are serious conflicts and grave Human rights abuse, England provides a safer place for them to be.

- By Laurence