ASYLUM SEEKERS: THE PERMISSION TO WORK POLICY
In this blog we will be answering a very common question that every asylum seeker in the UK must be thinking of.
That question is Are asylum seekers allowed to work in the UK??
Asylum seekers can apply for authorization to work after 12 months, but it should only be in skilled “shortage” areas, putting the UK’s Asylum rules more limiting and harsher than many countries in the world.
The asylum seekers in the UK are uplifted to volunteer whilst their asylum claim is being processed with a charity or public sector organisation, helping their local community, and this will also help with their incorporation if they are given leave to remain in the UK
USA has six months, EU has a nine-month rule in position and Canada and Australia lets asylum seekers to work instantly – only the UK has policies on the type of employment that can be done.
While asylum guidelines is set by the UK government, the Welsh Government has petitioned for work limitations to be eased as “the skills of asylum seekers are presently being misused”.
The theory behind the UK Home Office policies is to make sure a well-defined merit between economic migration and asylum that deters those who do not require protection from applying for asylum to get advantage from economic opportunities they would not then be eligible for.
It also plans to stop illegal migration for economic motives.
However decreased global movement saw a 69% fall in asylum applications in the first four weeks of lockdown in the UK, face-to-face interviews were genuinely suspended.
The UK Home Office persists it is delicately taking into consideration the opinions over the rights of asylum seekers to work.
The Home Office further mentioned that it had resumed interviews at the end of July, when social distancing was achievable, on top of video conferencing, and numbers were being accomplished “at speed across the UK”.
“Asylum seeker right to work is a complicated problem and is under reconsideration,” said a UK Home Office spokesperson.
“On the other hand, asylum seekers in the UK are allowed to work in jobs on the shortage occupation list if they have been waiting for an outcome on their claim for over an Year, through no mistake of their own.”
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