MIGRANT
AND REFUGEE
MYTH-BUSTER
Hate begins with fear, and fear is so often built on lack of understanding. And it's easy for the facts about migration to get lost amid misconceptions, dramatic headlines and "fake news."
Migration and diversity does not undermine social cohesion but sowing division and hatred definitely can. On this page you can find some of the most common "myths" associated with migrants and refugees. Simply click one to get the facts - you might be surprised!
MOST OF THE PEOPLE COMING TO
EUROPE AREN'T 'REAL' REFUGEES
THE EU IS IMPOSING MASS
MIGRATION ON ITS MEMBER STATES
EUROPE'S BORDER
CONTROLS ARE TOO LAX
NON-EUROPEAN COUNTRIES
AREN'T PLAYING THEIR PART
MIGRANTS AND REFUGEES ARE
A BURDEN ON PUBLIC SERVICES
MIGRANTS ARE A THREAT
TO EUROPE'S IDENTITY
MYTH #1
THE NUMBERS OF MIGRANTS AND REFUGEES ARRIVING TO EUROPE IS ACCELERATING
Attempts by migrants and refugees to enter Europe peaked in 2015, when almost 1.4 million asylum applications were registered in EU+ countries mainly as a result of the humanitarian crisis in Syria and Iraq.* Since 2015, applications steadily decreased year after year, particularly with the arrival of COVID-19 lockdowns and travel restrictions. 2023 saw another increase of arrivals due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine – currently at least 4.4 million Ukrainians benefit from temporary protection in Europe.On the other hand, asylum applications in 2023 totalled a combined figure of just over 1.1 million in all EU+ countries, particularly from Syria, Afghanistan and Turkey.
These figures suggest that the overall trend of arrivals is one of fluctuation, not long term increase. Numbers of arrivals go up and down according to levels of conflict in origin countries, and arrivals to Europe increase particularly when conflicts emerge in its relative vicinity.
But instead of thinking about numbers, why don’t we ask what Europe’s leaders can do to address the violence, insecurity and poverty which causes people to seek asylum in the first place?
*EU-28 plus Norway, Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Iceland.
MYTH #2
NON-EUROPEAN COUNTRIES AREN'T PLAYING THEIR PART
In reality, 86% of the world’s displaced people are hosted in developing countries, which are far less capable than Europe of offering the support required. The majority of world refugees live in neighbouring countries or regions. For example, low-to-middle income African countries such as Kenya, Ethiopia and Uganda host about 92% of refugees from Africa. Some countries such as Tunisia and Libya have deepened their hostility towards migrants and refugees, with widespread evidence of exploitation, ill-treatment and torture against migrants and refugees.
Perhaps the real question is: why does the EU promote partnerships for migration control with authoritarian regimes such as Tunisia, Libya and Egypt whilst providing little support to countries which need it?
MYTH #3
EUROPE'S BORDER
CONTROLS ARE
TOO LAX
Walls are in fashion these days, but they really shouldn’t be. Putting up barriers – physical or otherwise – does nothing to stop people wanting to leave poverty-stricken or oppressive countries. Instead, it merely diverts migration routes towards longer, more costly and more risky journeys, often requiring the assistance of smugglers.
This can often have disastrous consequences. The proliferation of border fences and surveillance technologies in the EU’s external (and internal) borders has brought about the reopening of long-dormant and particularly dangerous migration routes, such as the one connecting the West African coast and the Canary Islands. The tragic result is that the number of migrants and refugees drowning has increased: 2023 was declared the deadliest year on record, with over 8,500 people losing their lives. These figures are sadly an underestimation, as a fraction of shipwrecks happen undetected, as do many deaths in the Sahara Desert.
Walls on Europe’s borders won’t address the violence and insecurity which leads to migration, but they will push more and more people to risk their lives in pursuit of sanctuary.
MYTH #4
THE EU IS IMPOSING
MASS MIGRATION ON
ITS MEMBER STATES
When we read the news and hear about the latest EU decision, it’s easy to fall into the trap of thinking that “Eurocrats” in Brussels dictate policy to European countries. This is especially so in the case of migration policy, in which the EU plays a very visible role. However, this is simply untrue.
The EU works on behalf of its member states, and can only act when it has been given permission to do so via treaties agreed unanimously by all parties. And even then, EU members can veto individual decisions via their vote in the Council of the European Union. Indeed, some of the EU’s initiatives to reform the asylum system have been blocked by some of its member states.
In the next few years, the EU plans to spend far more of its budget on rolling out the measures in the Pact on Migration and Asylum, including a new border procedure that degrades existing safeguards and normalises pushbacks and the use of detention – a decision taken in response to pressure from some of Europe’s more xenophobic national governments. Click here to learn more about these proposals.
You can also find out more about the EU’s decision-making processes here.
MYTH #5
MOST OF THE PEOPLE
COMING TO EUROPE
AREN'T 'REAL' REFUGEES
People from around the world seek asylum in Europe. But the chance of an application being accepted depends greatly on an asylum seeker’s country of origin. Syrian citizens – who, in 2023, still represented the largest single group of applicants – were recognised and received protection status in 94% of cases. The only other countries whose nationals had more than a 50% chance of success were Afghanistan, Somalia and Eritrea – all of which suffer from serious violence and severe humanitarian challenges.
Rejection rates for nationals of countries like Peru, Morocco, Georgia or Bangladesh have remained high, with only 4 to 5 % of applicants receiving protective status. Far from being a “soft touch”, Europe’s governments actually are pretty strict when it comes to examining and questioning grounds for protection.
Claims that the number of ‘bogus’ asylum applications is rising is not supported by evidence either. Rejection rates have remained remarkably stable. Despite big differences in recognition rates across Europe, in the long term around half of asylum applicants see their case eventually approved.
MYTH #6
MIGRANTS AND REFUGEES
ARE A BURDEN ON
PUBLIC SERVICES
In general, migrants tend to become net contributors to the economies of their new home countries, rather than becoming a “drain” on public services. This is particularly true for two categories of migrants: migrants from rich and middle-income countries and lower-skilled migrants.
Ironically, the most scapegoated migrant category of all – undocumented migrants – have the biggest net fiscal impact because they contribute to the economy often without receiving social security benefits nor access to services. This should make us rethink welfare systems and guarantee access to basic services like education, healthcare and housing to all, not only according to fiscal contributions, but as an instrument of peace and social cohesion.
In the longer term, as Europe’s population ages and healthcare costs rise, let’s focus less on what our hospitality costs today, and instead think about the contribution that refugees and migrants could make to our societies (and have made already) – with the right support.
MYTH #7
MIGRANTS ARE
A THREAT TO
EUROPE'S IDENTITY
“Identity” is a very subjective idea – everybody’s is slightly different. We often think of ourselves as belonging to a nation, but parts of our identity are also unique from our town or region. Perhaps most importantly, there are some elements of who we are which we share with peoples and cultures around the world. Caring about family and friends, or rejecting violence – these are common threads which unite all of humanity.
Another idea which transcends countries and cultures is that of the “Good Samaritan”. When people are in need, we try to help them unconditionally. Deep down, that’s what welcoming refugees is all about. And compassion and solidarity should be as much a part of Europe’s identity as Christianity, Shakespeare or Mozart.
And let’s not forget that Europe has always been a diverse place. It has been formed by people and ideas from beyond its shores for millennia. Think about the sublime architecture of Moorish Spain, or the mathematical geniuses of the Middle East who laid the foundations for thinkers like Newton and Descartes.
What cultural wonders or scientific discoveries might newcomers add to Europe’s identity in future? If we close our doors to them, we will never know.
Sources and further reading
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European Union Agency for Asylum - EUAA (2023) Latest Asylum Trends 2023 - Annual Analysis, available here.
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Eurostat (updated on March 2024 at time of writing) Asylum applications - annual statistics, available here.
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European Parliamentary Research Services - EPRS (2022) Walls and fences at EU borders, available here.
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Hein De Haas (2023) How Migration Really Works: A Factful Guide to the Most Divisive Issue in Politics, Penguin Books.
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International Organisation for Migration - IOM (2024) Missing migrants project, available here; Al Jazeera (26 March 2024) UN report charts lethal cost of migration over past decade, available here.
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