MDP joins call to Lift The Ban and give asylum seekers the right to work

Migrant Democracy Project has joined a nationwide call to return the right to work to people seeking asylum.

Right now, right here in the UK, most people seeking refugee status are effectively banned from workingwhilst they wait months, and often years, for a decision on their asylum claim. Instead, they are left to live on just £7 per day (or just £1.42 per day for those warehoused in barracks or hotels), struggling to support themselves and their families, whilst the Government wastes the talents of thousands of people.

The Lift The Ban Coalition is a growing group of over 300 businesses, charities, trade unions and other organisations who think that’s wrong. Its members believe that people who have risked everything to find safety should have the best chance of contributing to our society and integrating into our communities. This means giving people seeking asylum the right to work so that they can use their skills and live in dignity.

At Migrant Democracy Project, we are looking to build a world of justice and liberation; the right to work is inherently tied to this. One of the beauties of migration is how it enriches our society with new perspectives, skills, and experiences, which not only can be of benefit in democratic politics, but are also of benefit to our industries and society as a whole. But these arbitrary rules that prevent people seeking asylum from working do not benefit wider society, and can actively harm these communities. Politicians justify these policies by using xenophobic rhetoric about ‘British jobs’, because in the voting booth, many migrant communities have no power to hold politicians to account for this. At the moment, over 4 million people cannot vote in general elections and over 1 million cannot vote in local elections, including people who have been through this very scenario of the right to work restriction. If we want to build an inclusive, equitable, and prosperous world, all those who make the UK their home must have the right to have their voices heard and the right to earn a living.

Allan Njanji, Campaigns Manager at Asylum Matters, co-secretariat of the Lift The Ban Coalition, said: “It’s simple common sense. When you ban people who are able and eager to work from doing so, you stop them from rebuilding their lives: improving their English, using their skills, embedding into their new community. Skills stagnate and mental health suffers, and it’s so much harder to get back on your feet once you finally have refugee status. At the same time, the rest of the UK community misses out on the skills people have to offer, and the tax they could be paying.

“The ban on work is bad for all of us - lifting it would benefit the entire country. That’s why it’s fantastic to add Migrant Democracy Project’s voice to the growing calls to lift this nonsensical ban.

“Together, we will ensure that people seeking asylum finally get the right to work.”