Social networks key to refugees’ choices

Asylum seekers coming to the UK do not know much about our
immigration and asylum procedures, according to a report by the
University of Wales’s migration unit for the Home Office.

The report, one of three commissioned by the Home Office to gain
insights into how “spontaneous” asylum seekers choose a country of
asylum, found having access to benefits did not influence people’s
destination decisions.

Social networks tended to influence the migration of asylum
seekers, while individuals’ perceptions of the UK came from popular
culture, with some reporting being Manchester United fans and
knowing music by the Spice Girls.

– Understanding the Decision Making of Asylum Seekers and
The Social Networks of Asylum Seekers from www.homeoffice.gov.uk or
020 7273 2084.