The leaflet "Reporting Asylum and Refugee Issues", offers journalists reporting on refugee issues practical assistance and guidance on terminology, usage of images and filming, interviewing refugees and asylum seekers.

General Secretary of the NUJ, Jeremy Dear said: "The media plays a key role in how refugees and asylum seekers are perceived and, ultimately, how they are treated by the public at large."

"The NUJ is only too aware that inaccurate, sensationalist and inflammatory stories harm community relations and can lead to violent attacks against some of the most vulnerable people in society."

Media coverage of refugee issues can be inaccurate, misleading or distorted. There is wide-spread confusion over what constitutes an asylum seeker or a refugee, and how this differs from an illegal immigrant or an economic migrant.

Imprecise or sensationalist reporting can result into increasing suspicion towards refugees and asylum seekers, causing an atmosphere of fear and hostility within the community.

UNHCR country representative, Bemma Donkoh said: "Asylum and immigration issues are complicated areas of public policy and debate.

"Balanced and well-informed media coverage of refugee issues gives readers impartial and considered access to sides of the story often lost or misrepresented."

With 27,900 asylum applications submitted in 2007, the UK has dropped down the list of industrialised states receiving asylum seekers to fifth place, with half as many applications as the US and a third less than Sweden. This is the fifth consecutive year in which applications fell.

Electronic versions of the leaflet is available here or email gbrloea@unhcr.org for a hard copy.

---