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Government policies are preventing too many refugees from working, according to a report by the Industrial Society, writes Katie Leason.

'A Poor Reception, Refugees and asylum seekers: welfare or work?' indicates that asylum seekers and refugees face barriers to work with an estimated 80 per cent of asylum seekers unemployed despite having high levels of skills.

People with refugee status and individuals granted 'exceptional leave to remain' are automatically permitted to work while asylum seekers have permission to work granted after six months.

The report recommends that permission to work after six months should be given automatically other than in exceptional cases, and that the government should develop a national database of refugee and asylum seekers’ skills linked to the employment service and other agencies.

It also recommends a national scheme for recognising qualifications and a standard method for English language testing so that employers can easily identify an applicant’s language level.

Gill Sargeant, co-author of the report, said: "Asylum seekers and refugees in reality don’t fit the popular stereotype as wasters and scroungers. They’re young, skilled, willing and keen to work. It is a matter of national disgrace that nearly four out of five asylum seekers and refugees are being excluded from British workplaces."

"It’s clearly high time that the government got its act together on migration policy and made sure that those allowed to live in this country are also allowed to work in this country."

www.indsoc.co.uk under 'what's new'