EXCLUSIVE: A new report by thinktank Equi calls on the government to change the national curriculum to teach children more about migrant history in order to deal with misinformation
Dangerous misinformation means two thirds of Britons wrongly think migration is rising while failing to recognise the contribution of people from overseas, a new report rules.
A study by thinktank Equi, shared with The Mirror, said an alarming perception gap means a large proportion of Brits base their opinions on false facts. Ministers face calls to shake-up the national curriculum to make sure children learn about migration history and how it has benefitted Britain.
And the report recommends the government brings in a national action plan to challenge anti-migrant myths. The document said false information about migration and asylum has sparked riots which cost the UK hundreds of millions of pounds. It states: “Policymakers now face a choice.
“They can allow the national conversation to continue drifting towards division and fear, or they can lead a new narrative – one grounded in facts, fairness, shared prosperity and collective responsibility.”
The warning comes days after Andy Burnham announced the UK would set up a new National Centre for Information Defence. He told the United Nations that Britain is being targeted by a wave of disinformation from foreign states, stating: “We’re talking about an insidious campaign that reaches into people’s homes and twists what they feel about their own country and community – creating a narrative of decline, stoking division and sowing despair.”
Equi’s report said that despite a sharp fall in the number of people coming to live in the UK in the last three years, 67% believe migration is rising. In fact net migration fell to an estimated 171,000 in the year ending December 2025 – down from a peak of 944,000 in March 2023, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
And the focus on small boat arrivals masks that it accounts for less than 2% of people coming into the UK, it said. The Equi report also argues that despite the narrative around migration, the risk of being a victim of crime has fallen.
It points out that migrants account for a workforce of 6.5million people, including one in five NHS workers. And migrant doctors pay £166,000 more in tax over their lifetimes than they take out, it said.
Meanwhile many are unaware that migrants pay a £1,035-a-year NHS surcharge before they use the health service – while using healthcare less than the UK-born population, the report says. Authors Oscar Davies and Dr Mary Hunter said it is a myth that the NHS is in crisis because of the burden placed on it by migrants.
The report also calls for a national programme, supported by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, to document and preserve migration histories. Sadiya Ahmed, from the Everyday Muslim Heritage and Archive Initiative, said: “When we talk about the history of the height of the British manufacturing industry, actually a lot of South Asians, particularly from the Muslim community were part of that history.
“But when you look at the history, including oral histories, and formal collections, the Muslim Asian voices are still missing.”
More than 700 migrants arrived in the UK on Wednesday – the highest number for a single day so far this year. The Home Office recorded 781 arrivals in 10 boats on Wednesday, suggesting an average of 78 people per boat.
This takes the provisional total for Channel crossings for the year so far to 18,565. This is down 42% on this time last year (32,188), and 26% below the figure at this stage in 2024 (25,165).
Five ‘myths’ challenged in the report
The Myth: Small boats are flooding the UK with countless illegal migrants.
What the report says: Small boat arrivals across the English Channel accounted for less than 2% of total immigration in the period 2018-2024, but they cause a disproportionate reaction among public attitudes towards immigration.11 From January to the end of July 2026, 14,200 people arrived in small boats to the UK; 44% fewer than in 2025.12
The Myth: Asylum seekers take British people’s jobs and benefits.
What the report says: While asylum seekers await a decision on their claim to asylum in the UK, they are usually not allowed to work or claim mainstream benefits. The government made changes to the law ensuring it is no longer legally obliged to provide financial support to asylum seekers. The government will remove financial support and accommodation from asylum seekers who break the law, work illegally, or are able to support themselves financially.
The Myth: Brexit helped curb migration to the UK.
What the report says: Migration to the UK increased after Brexit, caused primarily by an increase in the number of non-EU migrants due to the new points-based system.
The Myth: Migrants to the UK increase crime rates.
What the report says: As stated by the National Centre for Social Research, while the number of people in the UK has increased, primarily because of immigration, the risk of being a victim of crime has fallen.
The Myth: The NHS is in crisis because of the burden placed on it by migrant patients.
What the report says: Migrants can use the NHS free of charge once their visa starts, but they are required to pay the immigration health surcharge as part of their immigration application (£1,035 per year for most and £776 per year for students and under-18s). They therefore make a significant yearly contribution to the NHS. Research has also suggested that migrants tend to use healthcare less than the UK-born population.