"Have you ever spoken to a refugee?" Shelagh Fogarty debates LBC caller

Shelagh Fogarty has rejected a caller's claims about refugees faking their status to gain British citizenship.

Nick, from Brentwood, claimed the majority of irregular migrant arrivals to the UK were not genuine refugees, adding — without evidence — that some asylum seekers deliberately "throw their paperwork away".

"They don't even tell us where they're from," Nick said.

In response, Shelagh flatly rejected his claims.

"Nobody likes the fact that you've come on a boat, but you can come on a boat and still be given asylum status, a refugee status in this country," Ms Fogarty said.

"And the vast majority who come over the boats, aren't rejected."

This comes as the British Home Office announced plans to deny citizenship to all refugees who arrived in the UK by irregular means, such as by boat or hiding in a vehicle.

Presently, Britain is obligated to meet the UNCHR's 1951 Refugee Convention, which states that refugees cannot be punished for irregular entry.

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