The government’s independent adviser suggested that the ban on asylum seekers’ work should be lifted and caregivers should be granted expedited visas immediately.
The Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) said on Wednesday that the government should issue evidence to support the ministers’ assertion that allowing applicants to work will be a “pull factor” for others to come to the UK.
The committee stated in its annual report to Priti Patel, the Secretary of the Interior, that there is clear evidence that employment bans have caused harm and that policy changes are needed after the recent employment ban. Drowning in the strait.
According to current regulations, asylum seekers are not allowed to work unless their application has not been resolved for 12 months due to no fault of their own. After that, they must obtain permission from the Ministry of the Interior and can only apply for designated jobs on the official list of shortage occupations.
Immigration Minister Tom Pursglove said on Wednesday that the ban must continue to be implemented to “reduce the pull factor for the UK and ensure that our policies do not encourage people to weaken the resident labor force.”
However, MAC Chairman Professor Brian Bell said on Wednesday that he did not see evidence supporting the “pull factor” assessment and ministers have a responsibility to make it public.
“Just saying:’There is a pull factor’ is not enough. You must have evidence to support this. If you are unwilling to tell us what the evidence is on one side of the equation, you cannot draw a conclusion,” he said.
In December 2018, Sajid Javid, the then Minister of the Interior, told Parliament that he wanted to review the ban after the investigation results. Lifting the ban coalition Shows that allowing asylum seekers to work can generate an income of £42 million for the government each year.
In June 2021, there were about 56,600 asylum applications waiting for the preliminary decision, of which 75% of the applications had a waiting time of more than 6 months. This compares to 33% five years ago.
Attorney General Dominic Raab (Dominic Raab) said in an interview with “The Spectator” magazine In september He will support allowing asylum seekers to work.
The committee also recommended that those engaged in social welfare work be included in the list of shortage occupations, which was introduced after the end of the free movement of people within the EU in January.
It also recommends qualifying these jobs under health and nursing visas.
This recommendation is usually accepted by ministers, after several months of warnings from the social care department that it is facing Severe staff shortage Due to Brexit and the requirement that all workers must be vaccinated against Covid-19.
The committee said in a statement: “In view of the severe and increasing difficulties facing the nursing sector, the report presents the preliminary findings of adult social care. MAC recommends that the government make nursing staff immediately eligible for health and nursing staff visas, And put this occupation on the list of shortage occupations.”
The list includes jobs where employers face shortages of suitable labor, and it is wise to fill these vacancies with immigrant workers. Ultimately, the government decides whether to accept the proposal.
The Ministry of the Interior has been contacted for comments.
