There are many myths surrounding asylum seekers, who are often portrayed in the media as overrunning the UK. In fact, refugees make up around 0.7% of the UK population, and of the 123 million refugees who were forcibly displaced across the world at the end of 2024, only 0.42% were in the UK (UNHCR figures). Around 70% claiming asylum in the UK are granted it, which shows they have very real reasons to fear for their safety (Oxford University Migration Observatory figures).