BBC migration coverage must get beyond the day-to-day political lens

The Green Party Asylum and Migration Policy Working Group were pleased to be invited to contribute to the BBC’s thematic review of its migration output.

Over a long and productive meeting we observed that the BBC’s coverage on immigration issues appears to be driven by the Government agenda and the (right wing) written press, this leads to the main talking points being “Stop the Boats” and issues such as the below:

• Articles were labelled “Crisis” with little analysis about whether or not there is actually a migrant crisis, and what that would even look like.
• Some longer articles contained different viewpoints but these were not generally reflected in the headlines
• Articles about the possibility of leaving the ECHR had no mention of what it actually is and what rights we would lose. This reminded us of the BBC Brexit coverage and losing free movement, at that tome the focus was on inward migration but we not the rights we lost.. why so many are surprised they can no longer move to Spain etc.
• Articles about the “need” to reform the Refugee Convention.. no analysis of the Home Secretary’s pronouncements questioning whether the application of the UN’s 1951 Refugee Convention is “fit for our modern age”.
• BBC appeared to hold a neutral position when attacks on the judiciary were made
• Little coverage on the effect of the hostile environment, search for NRPF has very few results mainly restricted to the pandemic.
• Immigration Health Surcharge is nearly doubling in January, no news on website
• No mention on the BBC website at all of the visa fees increasing? Huge issue causing hardship, making poorest in society to pay.
• Only brief local coverage of the huge issue asylum seekers being forced into homelessness when they get a decision.
• Negative messaging with phrases such as “Fortress Europe”, “Stop the boats”, “Illegal”
• Coverage of Home Office accommodation focussing on costs, not on the decision delays causing the issues.
• One sided choices of general public talking heads who aren’t challenged.

A general point is we felt that the BBC was too focussed on migration being a political issue and not something that effects asylum seekers, refugees or anybody who crossed our borders and is trying to make a life in the UK. There is a little analysis of the harm caused by the hostile environment.

The review was publised on 7th May 2024 here
https://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/2024/bbc-thematic-review-migration-output

The BBC stated:

Madeleine Sumption finds no consistent bias towards one point of view within the BBC’s coverage of migration and the quality of BBC coverage on migration has generally been high.

However, her review does identify “risks to impartiality that point in multiple directions”. It identifies stories often being told through a narrow political lens, focused on commentary from a small number of high-profile people and without exploring issues in greater depth or detail.

The review also finds that audiences need more context and explanation more fully to understand the background to migration stories, and that different types of migration should be explained more clearly.

Sir Nicholas Serota, BBC Board Member and Chair of the Editorial Guidelines and Standards Committee said: “As recent events confirm migration is a highly contested area of public policy, and that is why BBC reporting on it must meet the highest editorial standards.

“This Board-commissioned review finds that BBC coverage of migration has many strengths, but that it could also better reflect the topic’s complexities, as well as ensuring coverage is not overly dominated by political and high-profile voices.

“We have asked the Director-General and the Executive to ensure all actions suggested in the review are implemented and the Editorial Guidelines and Standards Committee of the Board will monitor progress to ensure all the challenges raised are addressed.