Allowing asylum seekers the right to work could help them settle
into communities better while boosting Scotland’s economy and
workforce.
Research by the Scottish Government’s independent Expert Advisory
Group on Migration and Population sets out how enabling asylum
seekers to gain employment could improve health and wellbeing and
reduce the risk of exploitation.
Changes could also benefit the Scottish economy, help fill gaps
in the workforce and see increased council tax paid directly to
local authorities which host asylum seekers.
The report will underpin the development of proposals for a
Scottish Asylum Right to Work pilot, to be submitted for
consideration to the Home Office in 2024.
Migration Minister said:
“Scotland provides a welcoming home to many people seeking
asylum, with policies underpinned by dignity, respect and
compassion.
“This independent report shows how enabling asylum seekers to
find work could reduce anxiety and improve the wellbeing of
vulnerable people, while supporting Scotland’s economy by helping
fill skills shortages and addressing population challenges.
“As the UK Government continues to pursue repugnant policies on
asylum and immigration, we are developing mitigations as far as
possible within our devolved powers and budget, including through
our New Scots refugee integration strategy.
“The Scottish Government will now use this report to design a
proposal to work within the current devolution settlement, but
only independence would give us power to implement a full
Scottish asylum system rooted in respect for human rights.”
Chair of the Scottish Government’s independent Expert Advisory
Group on Migration and Population Rebecca Kay said:
"Our report shows strong international evidence that strict
restrictions on the right to work have negative consequences for
asylum seekers’ material and emotional well-being, and for
long-term integration outcomes.
"We also find substantial evidence of the
considerable barriers which people seeking asylum are likely
to face on entering the labour force. These will require careful
consideration by Scottish Government, and deliberate remedy, when
designing a pilot proposal.
"Wider measures to provide adequate reception, settlement and
integration services will be required in order to realise the
full benefits of a right to work policy for asylum seekers."
Background
Extending the Right to Work to
Asylum Seekers in Scotland: evaluation, analysis, and policy
options
Asylum is reserved to the UK Parliament. UK Government policy
currently means that asylum seekers in all parts of the UK have
to wait 12 months before being able to apply for permission to
work from the Home Office and if granted permission they are
restricted to roles on the Shortage Occupation List.
While UK Government policy places strict limitations on when
asylum seekers can work and the types of jobs they can do, a less
restrictive approach could bring Scotland’s closer to countries
including Australia, Canada, Germany and Sweden.
The Scottish Government’s Building a New Scotland
paper on migration to Scotland after independence sets out how an
independent Scotland could create a migration system with
dignity, fairness and respect at its core.
