A BILL will be presented to the UK Parliament today to secure the right for asylum seekers to work.
SNP MP Carol Monaghan will lead a bill that will build on the work of Lift the Ban, a 26-member coalition of charities, trade unions, businesses, faith groups and think tanks - in calling for the right to work for those seeking asylum.
The bill will be subject to the tin-minute rule which sets the time limit that Monaghan will have to make her case for the proposed legislation.
Currently, the UK’s immigration system dictates that those who have fled their home country due to conflict, persecution or other dangerous situations can only apply for work if they have been waiting more than 12 months, and only for jobs that are on the UK Government’s shortage occupation list.
The shortage occupation list compiles the jobs that the UK Government has deemed in short supply of workers.
According to Lift the Ban’s calculations, by the end of 2022, the UK Treasury will have spent nearly £1 billion as a result of preventing asylum seekers from working.
The group also claimed that 50% of those currently waiting more than six months for a decision were able to work full-time on a national average salary and that the Government would receive more than £190 million from their tax and National Insurance contributions.
The Glasgow North West MP says her bill would bring significant benefits to the UK economy and help fill vacancies in industries experiencing recruitment challenges, such as hospitality, air travel, and haulage.
She has also argued that the bill would benefit those seeking safety in the UK by supporting their integration into society and offering a viable route out of poverty.
Commenting, Monaghan said: “In the midst of a cost-of-living crisis, with UK inflation reaching a 40-year high, it is imperative that those seeking asylum on these shores can support the economy and provide for themselves and their families.
“At present, individuals waiting on their asylum claim are given just £5.84 per day to meet all their essential living costs. This is deplorable.
“Meanwhile, the Home Office is frittering away a staggering £120million of taxpayers’ money on the Rwanda deal – with an estimated £500,000 spent on a plane to Rwanda that never even took off.
“Instead of wasting gargantuan sums of public money on expensive, ineffective policies, it should seek to implement policies that make economic sense – and the right to work is an exemplary policy in that respect …
“Boris Johnson and his Tory counterparts repeatedly reiterate that the UK has a “proud history” of supporting refugees. It’s time to show that by backing my Bill.”
