MPs Call for Asylum Seekers in UK to Have Right to Work after Six Months, Citing Destitution and Ineffective Deterrents
A cross-party report by the UK parliament's all-party parliamentary groups on poverty and migration recommends that asylum seekers be allowed to work after six months and have greater access to public services.
The report criticizes the current policies, which it believes push asylum seekers into poverty and do not effectively deter them from coming to the UK.
The report is based on 200 expert submissions and will be published on Tuesday.
The text discusses the costs of the UK's immigration and asylum system borne by taxpayers.
MPs and peers have suggested allowing asylum seekers to work six months after arriving in the UK while their application is being processed.
Currently, most asylum seekers cannot work in the UK, with limited exceptions after 12 months for those qualified to work in sectors with labor shortages.
The report recommends improving migrants' access to social security and public services to prevent them from engaging in unsafe and exploitative work.
Additionally, it calls for a reduction in immigration and nationality fees, particularly for young people on the path to settlement and British citizenship.
The text suggests that the current 10-year waiting period for migrants to obtain permanent settlement in the UK should be shortened to five years.
Additionally, it proposes that no migrant on a path to settlement should be subject to "no recourse to public funds" rules for longer than five years.
The report issues a warning that the UK government's policies, which include lengthy waits for asylum seekers and restrictions on their access to public services and social security payments, are pushing migrants into destitution.