Everyone should have the right to work, we need to lift the ban

Written by Emma Birks

This blog post has been produced for the Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce as part of the 2024 – 2025 Growth Through People campaign.

Growth Through People, is a flagship Chamber campaign, supporting organisations to increase their productivity and grow, through improved people management and leadership skills. For the first time, Growth Through People will be delivered throughout the year, having launched with the Growth Through People Conference in March 2024, and will include the delivery of a number of events, as well as digital content, throughout the next 12 months.

Thanks to our Headline Sponsors – Aston University, Lumien and Curium Solutions- all Growth Through People events are free to attend. Interested readers can find out more and register to attend Growth Through People events here.

Right now, people seeking asylum in the UK are effectively banned from working and forced to live in poverty while they await a decision on their application, often for many months or even years. The financial support they receive from the government is just £7 per day to pay for all essentials.

The Lift the Ban campaign is a coalition of more than 300 businesses, charities, trade unions, faith groups and think tanks working together to restore the right to work for people seeking asylum. Local members include Aston University and Birmingham City Council.

ACH, another local member of the Lift the Ban coalition, works to empower refugees and migrants who reside in the UK to lead self-sufficient and ambitious lives, by delivering effective support services that give refugees and migrants the tools they need to succeed. They seek to nurture the skills of refugees, as Leila's story highlights below.

However, these people possess these skills while they are claiming asylum, not just when they are accepted as refugees - so should they have to wait in limbo to access the world of work?

Leila’s story

“In 2018 I took part in ACH’s Starbucks Course in Birmingham. I was successful, and I worked there for almost 2 years. After that, I worked as an employment coach for refugees at ACH.

“I'm from Syria, I came to the UK in 2015. My journey was difficult, I went to ten different countries to get to the UK, including by a small boat, truck, train, plane and walking for miles. I ended up in a camp in France before arriving in Sweden and then the UK.

“At that time, I was an asylum seeker, which meant I was not allowed to work and had limited access to education. I volunteered as an Arabic tutor and teacher assistant for over a year. I now have received my leave to remain and can stay and work in the UK.

“I attended a university in Syria and hold the equivalent of an English Language and Literature degree. I have more qualifications in the UK.

“I believe that solid education and training provide hope to refugees. Asylum seekers struggle silently, I was one of them, I can feel how painful it is to be full of passion and dreams, but rules and laws prevent you from achieving and progressing.”

At Asylum Matters, (co-founders of Lift the Ban), we think people like Leila should not have to wait, living in poverty, to be able to use their talents and experience at work.

That’s why we have been working to bring businesses on board with the campaign. We know that many see people seeking asylum as an asset that would help strengthen their workforce, bring diversity and boost the economy.

In the North East, over 40 businesses have signed up, and at a recent event, in Tynemouth they heard from people seeking asylum about their experiences of being unable to work, see photo.

Steve Woods, from Woods Cafe, one of the businesses to sign up said: "Ask anyone in the hospitality business, anywhere in the UK, and they will all complain of staff shortages. If we could employ asylum seekers that would not only help the businesses, but it would be a chance for those seeking asylum to integrate into our communities."

To find out more about the Lift the Ban campaign in the West Midlands, contact Emma Birks at emma@asylummatters.org