Thread by @RefugeeAction

People seeking asylum in the UK are banned from working. This thread explains why we should #LiftTheBan and give them the right to work. 1/12

Firstly, they desperately want to work - to provide for their families and contribute to the country that’s sheltering them as they wait for the outcome of their claim. 2/12

Instead, they’re forced into needless poverty – struggling to live off £5.39 a day. More than half turn to food banks. 3/12

How long do they have to wait? Almost half of all people claiming asylum wait over six months for a decision, many wait years. Unable to work throughout this time, their mental and physical health often deteriorates. 4/12

This ban is forcing people to live in limbo, unable to put their talents to use. At best, their many and varied skills are being wasted; at worst, they are being lost. 5/12

This policy makes the UK an international outlier in terms of the restrictions placed on people seeking asylum, as this chart from the @guardian shows. 6/12

The evidence is clear: lifting the ban would bring huge benefits, including making it much easier for people to integrate into society once they receive refugee status. 7/12

Lifting the ban also makes economic sense. We estimate it would bring huge gains to the UK economy from tax revenue as well as savings on existing support programmes. 8/12

Polling from this year by @britishfuture showed that 71% of the public support giving people seeking asylum the right to work. That’s a huge level of agreement for any issue. 9/12

We’re proud to be part of an incredibly broad coalition of charities, businesses, faith groups and unions who’ve come together to #LiftTheBan. These are just some of the 80+ partners involved. 10/12

Lifting the ban would put an end to needless poverty, benefit our economy and improve integration. It’s heavily supported by the public and organisations across the country.

Will you add your voice as well? 11/12

act.refugee-action.org.uk/page/29178/pet…

Follow this link to read the full report and share this thread to ensure we’re heard by those with the power to #LiftTheBan @sajidjavid 12/12
refugee-action.org.uk/lift-the-ban-r…