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Responding to questions over how Sudanese nationals fleeing fighting in the country might be able to come to the UK, home secretary Suella Braverman MP and immigration minister Robert Jenrick MP both advised people to apply through the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
Following these comments, the UNHCR issued a statement stating that “there is no mechanism through which refugees can approach UNHCR with the intention of seeking asylum in the UK”.
We asked the Home Office about Ms Braverman and Mr Jenrick’s comments, and were told that Sudanese nationals who wish to come to the UK will require a valid UK visa.
While Mr Jenrick correctly stated the UNHCR can identify people to recommend for resettlement in the UK, both he and Ms Braverman are wrong to suggest that Sudanese nationals fleeing their country can apply to come to the UK specifically through the agency.
It’s important that if an MP makes a false or misleading claim, they take responsibility for ensuring it is appropriately corrected, and make efforts to ensure the correction is publicly available to anyone who might have heard the claim. We have contacted Suella Braverman MP to ask her to make a correction.
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CAMPAIGN
This week, Full Fact sent an open letter to the Secretary of State, urging her to support an amendment to the Online Safety Bill to make tackling health misinformation a priority. We were joined in our calls by leading health organisations, experts and charities, including the Chief Scientist of the World Health Organization, the Royal Society for Public Health, the Royal College of GPs, British Heart Foundation and MS Society.
People have already died as a result of dangerous health misinformation they have seen online. We joined forces to write to the government because we have seen first hand the need for robust regulation that forces internet companies to take their role in protecting their users from health misinformation seriously.
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FACT CHECK
On Tuesday, the government announced a new plan to change the way that people access healthcare through GPs and pharmacists.
The launch of the plan was accompanied by a series of claims about the size of the GP workforce, with some saying that the number of GPs is rising, and others that the number is falling.
A key claim from the government has been that the number of doctors in general practice is higher than in 2019.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak told reporters on Tuesday: “Right now, there are almost 2,000 more doctors working in general practice than in 2019.”
This figure is based on the number of full-time equivalent (FTE) GPs, including trainees, in England, which rose by about 1,910 between December 2019 and March 2023. However trainee GPs may not see as many patients as fully qualified GPs, and the number of FTE fully qualified GPs has fallen.
Some health experts, including the Royal College of GPs, advise against including trainees when counting the total number of GPs, as trainees are expected to have dedicated education time and may carry out fewer and longer appointments than a qualified colleague.
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JOBS
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Help us mobilise millions of people who care about honesty in public debate. We’re looking for an expert in digital campaigns to make sure Full Fact and our supporters are ready for the next election.
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Full details and how to apply
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MORE FACT CHECKS
Also this week...
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Stop the spread of bad information
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All the best,
Team Full Fact
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