Over 2,500 people have written to their MP using our template letter, calling for safe and legal routes for people to enter the UK. As MPs begin to respond, we are seeing some awful inaccuracies and myths. 
This guide answers some of the claims and inaccuracies around Channel crossings that are coming up. 
You can also find a bite-sized version of this information here.
Photo credit: Mathieu Willcocks / Migrant Offshore Aid Station

Claim: These people are not refugees – they are illegal immigrants / economic migrants.  
Reality: The people making these crossings include pregnant women, families with children, and children who have absolutely no one with them. No one risks their life in a dangerous journey like this unless they have no other choice.
Most of them come from places like Syria, Libya and Iran where they are fleeing war and persecution, and are trying to join family in the UK. We know from reports that many of them will have b…