Asylum Seekers to See Work Restrictions in the UK

Apparently the UK government may be putting a limit on the kind of jobs that asylum seekers can apply for. The government wants it so that asylum seekers can only apply for jobs that are within an industry that has a staff shortage.

Home Office ministers are trying to lessen the impact of a supreme court ruling that lifted the work ban on 45,000 asylum seekers. The only way that this impact can be lessened is by severely restricting the jobs that the emigrants are able to apply for. Damian Green, the emigration minister, said that he wants to bar asylum seekers from more than 28.5 million jobs. He wants to restrict them to industries in which there are official staff shortages.

Right now Home Office officials are investigating the possibility of telling asylum seekers they can only apply for vacancies among 400,000 skilled jobs in shortage occupation. This is just a tiny fraction of the jobs in the UK economy. Asylum seekers would have to be qualified math teachers, high integrity pipe welders or chemical engineers to have any hope of being allowed into the country. Of course, there are other jobs as well that would allow emigrants in, including being ballet dancers or orchestral musicians.

This week's supreme court ruling said failed asylum seekers who have made a second fresh claim for refugee status should be allowed to work if they have had waited more than 12 months for a new Home Office decision. This ruling is in line with the European Union directive that lays down minimum standards for the reception of asylum seekers across Europe to ensure a good standard of living.