Student Action for Refugees The national network of student groups working to improve the lives of refugees in the UK.

Right to Work

STAR is campaigning for the government to give people seeking asylum the right to work.

Since 2002, the government has refused permission for almost everyone claiming asylum to work.

We are campaigning to highlight the injustices experienced by thousands of asylum seekers who are forced into poverty and isolation by being denied the right to work.

Allowing asylum seekers to work would prevent vulnerable people being left in a state of limbo, reduce the burden on the taxpayer and allow asylum seekers to support themselves and their families while contributing to the economy.

Granting permission to work is a key aim of the Still Human Still Here campaign, calling on the government to end the enforced destitution of people who have been refused asylum.

Campaign Supporters: Student Action for Refugees (STAR), Refugee Council, TUC, Brighter Futures, Still Human Still Here and Barnardo’s.

Take Action!

STAR is supporting Still Human Still Here in calling on MPs to sign a Declaration which supports giving asylum seekers permission to work after 6 months.

Email your MP to ask them to support our declaration

Take Action

Please take just two minutes to ask your MP to support this sensible policy which will have a positive impact for many people.

Declaration

I urge the Government to give asylum seekers permission to work if they have been waiting for more than six months for their cases to be concluded or if they have been refused asylum but temporarily cannot be returned to their country of origin through no fault of their own.

This will prevent vulnerable people being left in a state of limbo for prolonged periods of time, will reduce the burden on the taxpayer and allow a small number of asylum seekers to support themselves and their families while contributing to the economy.

The Right To Work

We are calling for asylum seekers who have been waiting for more than six months for their cases to be concluded or who have been refused asylum but temporarily cannot be returned home through no fault of their own (e.g. because removals have been suspended to their country of origin) to be given permission to work until their cases are finally resolved rather than being left in limbo.

This policy has several benefits:

• It provides asylum seekers with a route out of poverty as current support levels leave the majority to survive on just over £5 a day
• Some asylum seekers do wait years for a decision
• It reduces the burden on the taxpayer as asylum seekers who are able to work will not need to be supported for extended periods and instead can contribute to the economy through increased tax revenues and consumer spending
• It avoids leaving refused asylum seekers who cannot be removed dependent on statutory support or charity
• It prevents the negative consequences of prolonged economic exclusion and forced inactivity (e.g. poverty, break up of marriages, impact on lives and self-esteem of families, social cohesion, etc.)
• For those asylum seekers who are eventually given permission to stay, avoiding an extended period outside the labour market is key to ensuring their long term integration into UK society and encouraging them to be self-sufficient
• This policy will not attract economic migrants to the UK as only a small percentage of asylum seekers would be in the system long enough to apply for permission to work (the Government aims to resolve 90% of cases within 6 months by 2011). Furthermore, the Home Office would still have the discretion to refuse anyone permission to work who was responsible for delaying a decision on their claim
• Many EU countries already allow asylum seekers to work six months or less after making their asylum application and these countries do not receive more asylum applications than the UK

Resources

Information

• Campaign Briefing

• Right to work info sheet

Materials

• STAR campaign leaflet

• Let Them Work Logos

• LTW campaign pledge

Tools

• Guide to Lobbying MPs

• Dealing with Difficult Questions

News

Go to our News page to find out about the latest developments in the campaign, how it is viewed in the media and what the government is doing.

Films

Watch some short films on the right to work and learn more about the campaign and what is happening.

Further information

This section includes reports to inform you about the campaign and the issues of destitution and the right to work in the UK as well as other places to find information.

• The Refugee Council hosts the Let Them Work campaign webpage, with information about the campaign, some recent news, and the key online actions for you to take.
  • Check out their frequently asked questions
  • Have a read of some case studies

• Briefings and reports on the right to work
  • Asylum Rights Watch: Right to Work
  • Right to work: Social exclusion, refugee integration, and the right to work for asylum seekers.
  • Permission to work for asylum seekers

• Real life stories
  • Regional Refugee Forum North East has a page of powerful case studies on the impact of denying the right to work for asylum seekers.