Thread by @stand_for_all

Thread: Okay, so setting aside, for now, the seeming implication made here by @ClareFoges that people seeking asylum in the UK should avoid acting "foreign", there is quite a lot which is just plain wrong. 1/

For starters, this is not a "fair assumption" in the way it has been phrased. The UK actually takes relatively few refugees compared to other countries, and the vast majority remain in countries neighbouring the one they fled, 73% to be exact. 2/

Reading the news you may be forgiven for thinking developed nations are being "overwhelmed", but reality is that 83% of refugees are in developing countries and 39% are hosted by just five countries. So, however you cut it, the UK is always going to take proportionally fewer. 3/

I will move past the "Britain's generous instincts" line, as repeated studies have shown that is just demonstrably false for the majority, and move onto the implication that channel crossings are to blame for the mess of the asylum system, rather than Home Office failures. 4/

Despite an increase in people crossing the channel, of whom 98% apply for asylum, the overall number of applications is down by about a quarter on the previous year and actual grants of asylum down by around half. 5/

gov.uk/government/sta…

Next up, that "hostile to Britain" line. It's a tried and tested one I will grant, but its also more than a bit disingenuous. As multiple studies have shown, refugees are among the least likely of all groups to actually be terrorists. 6/

Put it this way, a refugee reaching the UK, particularly if travelling via "irregular routes" has to cross multiple international borders, face multiple different authorities etc. There are easier ways to enter a country if you are planning on breaking the law. 7/

Okay, all things considered here, this is maybe considered a minor point, but the "UN Convention on Human Rights" isn't actually a thing. I assume it was meant to be the UN Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees. Might help to get the name right when misrepresenting it. 8/

Do I need to get into why the word "ghettos" here is just plain dog-whistling or can I assume that it is so obvious I can move onto remaining issues? 9/

Yep, yes that is a slur in fact, not to mention, as @GoingMedieval points out, just factually inaccurate. 10/

I am all for providing better and more support to asylum seekers, but what is being put forward here isn't a "two way street". It's a highly loaded argument that if someone wants to seek safety they must "conform" exactly. Essentially, they need to lose their unique identity. 11/