A Poor Reception, Refugees and asylum seekers: welfare or work?

A Poor Reception, Refugees and asylum seekers: welfare or work?

Description: "Government policies are keeping too many refugees and asylum seekers from working, according to Industrial Society report

Refugees and asylum seekers are being actively hampered from working, through a combination of muddled Government migration policy, employer ignorance and media-backed public prejudice according to a new report, A Poor Reception, Refugees and asylum seekers: welfare or work? published today by The Industrial Society.

Among the report’s policy recommendations (listed below) key suggestions include ensuring that permission to work after six months should be given automatically other than in exceptional cases. In addition the Government needs to develop a national database of refugee and asylum seekers’ skills linked to the Employment Service and other relevant agencies. A national scheme for recognising qualifications needs to be developed along with standardisation of English language testing to help easily identify the level of language skill of an applicant. Finally the Government needs to change perceptions by running an education initiative designed to shift public opinion and educate employers about the skills and experience of most asylum seekers and refugees.

The report argues that asylum seekers and refugees face unnecessarily high barriers to work. Best estimates indicate that up to 80% of asylum seekers are unemployed despite many having high levels of skills. People with refugee status and individuals granted Exceptional Leave to Remain (ELR) are automatically permitted to work. Asylum seekers in practice have permission to work granted after six months to the principal asylum seeker (though not their families). The report argues that the Government’s declared intent of creating employment opportunity for all – full employment – will be unattainable if refugees and asylum seekers continue to be excluded in such large numbers from the labour market.

A Poor Reception identifies three areas where barriers to work for refugees and asylum seekers have been erected. First, employers are under or ill informed and face the fear of stiff penalties (up to £2000 fine) should they employ an illegal immigrant. There is no standard permission to work document issued to refugees and asylum seekers, the wording of immigration papers is ambiguous and unclear and employers have reported that often the immigration authorities have been unhelpful in clarifying an applicant’s status.

Second, discriminatory attitudes among the general public towards asylum seekers in particular, have been encouraged by parts of the media who perpetuate the myth that such people are ‘work shy scroungers’ despite the fact that immigrants contribute more in taxes and national insurance contributions than they consume.

Third, many new arrivals to the UK lack good English. Those that do have good English (up to NVQ level 4) have far better employment prospects. However as big a problem is the lack of recognition of formal qualifications gained overseas meaning many highly skilled refugees and asylum seekers suffer downward professional mobility.

The report is launched against a background of mass migration worldwide – more so than at any time since the second world war. Such migration is being driven by a mix of political oppression, armed conflict, the widening gulf between rich and poor countries and the expansion of awareness of other opportunities via mass media and travel. There are currently 13 million people around the world who are either refugees or asylum seekers of which 2.5 million are in Europe and just over 10 per cent of these (265,000) are in the UK.

Overall the report recommends 10 core policy initiatives and reforms.

Perceptions need to be changed by running a major public education initiative designed to shift public opinion and educate employers about the skills and experience of most asylum seekers and refugees.

There is a need for clear guidelines on the legal obligations of firms wishing to employ asylum seekers and refugees and easy access to advice and information.

Partnerships between employers, refugee agencies and organisations working with refugees should be seen as the way forward.
Migration policy needs to be overhauled and seen as a continuum from entry, to settlement through to integration. A new policy should include all groups of migrants.

A standard work permit must be issued to all those with permission to work. It could include a help line for employers and could also double as an ID card.

A National Insurance number should be issued at the same time as permission to work is granted and permission to work should be granted to partners of principal applicants.

Permission to work after six months should be given automatically other than in exceptional cases.

A national skills database of refugees and asylum seekers should be established and fed through to Employment Service and other relevant agencies.

Skills and qualifications assessments of asylum seekers should begin while a decision on status is awaited. This will help speed up the integration process for successful applicants.

A national scheme for recognising qualifications is needed and English language testing must be standardised so that employers can easily identify the level of language skill of an applicant.

As Gill Sargeant, co-author of the report, says, "Asylum seekers and refugees in reality don’t fit the popular stereotype as wasters and scroungers. They’re young, skilled, willing and keen to work. It is a matter of national disgrace that nearly four out of five asylum seekers and refugees are being excluded from British workplaces. They want the work, employers want workers and the Government says it wants employment opportunity for all. It’s clearly high time that the Government got its act together on migration policy and made sure that those allowed to live in this country are also allowed to work in this country."

Notes to Editors:

Refugees in Britain

In the year 2000 there were 80,315 applications for asylum in the UK with the top nationalities being, Iraq, Iran, Sri Lanka, The Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and Afghanistan
The average age of applicants was 27 and over 80% of applicants were male.
Around a third of applications for asylum in 2000 resulted in a grant of asylum or exceptional leave to stay.

Definitions

Asylum seekers – People who have applied for asylum but whose application has not yet been determined by the Home Office.

Exceptional leave to remain (ELR) – a discretionary grant allowing the individual to stay in the UK for a period up to 4 years. After 4 years a person with ELR may apply for indefinite leave to remain.

Refugees – have been granted refugee status under the terms of the 1951 United Nations Convention. At the same time they are granted indefinite leave to remain, they are entitled to a Convention travel document and the right to a family reunion. They are also permitted to work and hold the same rights as any resident of the United Kingdom.

Economic Migrants – are people who leave their home country in search of work and employment. Generally the UK has a restrictive attitude to legal; economic migration. Today entry to the UK is through the work permit system usually only granted to highly skilled professionals or for smaller work-related categories such as students or vacation workers.

The Industrial Society are the UK’s leading thinkers and advisers on the world of work. Everything we do – from consultancy to research, from training to advocacy, from education to advisory services, is driven by our commitment to improve working life. We are a wholly independent, not-for profit body and hold Royal Charter status. Our members include companies of every size, from every sector of the economy, along with public sector organisations, charities and trade unions.
The authors Gill Sargeant and Aminatta Forna are available for interview
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Free download in PDF format - 21 pages

http://www.indsoc.co.uk/